‘US is trying to destabilize India in elections’
Last Updated on May 10, 2024 3:23 am
Voting is underway for the 18th Lok Sabha elections in India. In the meantime, Russia has made explosive comments about the United States based on this election. The US is trying to destabilize India ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the country’s foreign ministry said. The country made such comments after the US Federal Commission’s report criticized India for violating religious freedom.
Indian media NDTV published a report on this on Thursday (May 9).
According to Russian state-owned news network RT News, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said,
America has no understanding of India’s national mentality and history. And they are making baseless complaints about the country’s religious freedom.
Zakharova called it ‘disrespectful’ to India as a country and a state.
He further said that the US is making such allegations to make India’s internal political situation unbalanced and complicate the general elections.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson also said that Washington’s actions clearly amounted to interference in Delhi’s internal affairs.
Russia’s comments came after the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) criticized India for violating religious freedom in its latest annual report. Besides, the Commission has recommended to the US State Department to declare India as a ‘Country of Special Concern’.
In the report, the commission accused the ruling BJP of promoting “discriminatory” nationalist policies. The report also mentions the continued implementation of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Foreign Contribution Control Act, Citizenship Amendment Act and the Anti-Conversion and Cow Slaughter Act.
It said that as a result of the implementation of these laws, religious minorities and their advocates are being arbitrarily detained and monitored.