The United States religious freedom watchdog strict diplomatic and administrative restrictions on the Indian government, administration and officials, saying the government “willingly allowed organized violent activities… which was a grave violation of the international religious freedom law”.
Days after a damning report on rights abuses in India, Commission on International Religious Freedom called for freezing of assets and barring entry into United States of those Indian officials directly involved in repressing religious freedom in the country. “The US financial and visa officials should be bound to take action against them,” it said.
Reports claimed that after the recommendations, there are chances of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh facing the ban recommended by the US panel.
“Others including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Sevak Sangh (RSS), Indian police and government officials could also face ban suggested from the US government’s watchdog,” they said.
It may be noted here that Modi had faced a US ban in the 2000s for his controversial role in the Gujrat riots.
According to the watchdog, the Citizenship Amendment Act, passed in December by the Indian parliament, violated the religious freedom of people, especially the Muslims.
The controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) gives Hindus and religious minorities from neighboring countries — including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — a fast track to citizenship, it excludes Muslims.
The commission recommended that the State Department designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, because it “tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
