“India Dismisses US Human Rights Report as Biased and Unreliable”

In Short

• India responds to US’s Human Rights Report
• Report mentioned Manipur, tax-raids on BBC, killing of Khalistani terrorist in Canada
• Report is ‘deeply biased’ and Indian government ‘attaches no value’, says MEA

The External Affairs Ministry of India has strongly criticized the Human Rights Report released by the US State Department, labeling it as “deeply biased” and asserting that the Union government attaches “no value” to its contents.

According to the report, which was released on Thursday, significant abuses in Manipur were highlighted, particularly in the wake of ethnic conflict erupting in May 2023.

It detailed the violence and displacement caused by clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, resulting in the death of at least 175 people and the displacement of over 60,000 individuals.

The report also addressed other contentious issues, including the raids conducted by tax authorities on the Delhi and Mumbai offices of the UK-based broadcaster, BBC.

These raids were allegedly related to allegations of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing irregularities, following the release of a documentary titled “India: The Modi Question,” focusing on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Furthermore, the report highlighted the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, describing it as indicative of a “pattern of extrajudicial actions by state agents.”

Responding to inquiries about the report, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that the document was deeply flawed and showcased a lack of understanding of India’s complexities.

He urged others to disregard the report’s findings, echoing the government’s stance of attaching no value to it.

Following the report’s release, Robert Gilchrist, a senior bureau official at the US State Department, called on India to uphold its human rights commitments, indicating potential diplomatic tensions between the two nations over the issue.