Karachi, The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the Biden administration to categorize India as a ‘country of particular concern’ under the US Religious Freedom Act. This request comes in response to what the USCIRF perceives as India’s targeting of religious minorities overseas.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the USCIRF, an independent federal government commission, highlighted concerns over the Indian government’s actions abroad. “Recent efforts by the Indian government to silence activists, journalists, and lawyers abroad pose a serious threat to religious freedom,” the USCIRF stated. The commission emphasized the need for the US Department of State to recognize India’s alleged systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief.

Further underlining the urgency of this matter, USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck referred to specific incidents involving the Indian government. He cited the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and an alleged plot to assassinate another Sikh activist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in the United States, describing these incidents as deeply troubling.