The US speaks with India on “religious freedom and human rights concerns; we urge India to advance rights,” according to Price.
WASHINGTON: A reporter from a private Pakistani television channel queried the US government’s position on “hate crimes committed by the Indian government against Muslims and other minorities” during a press briefing in Washington, DC. The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in India has been chastised by the United States for its “offensive comments” against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, responded by saying that the remarks had been denounced and that the Biden administration was “happy to see that the party [BJP] officially repudiated those comments.” Price continued, “We encourage India to promote respect for human rights and we routinely engage with the Indian government at senior levels on human rights concerns, including freedom of religion or belief. The representative did, however, also appear to justify India’s actions by asserting that “the people of India and the people of America believe in the same values: human decency, human respect, equality of opportunity, and the freedom of religion or belief.”
In light of the “conspiracy theories” being “sold” by former prime minister Imran Khan, the reporter also questioned Washington’s position on cooperation with the current Pakistani government. Price responded by saying that the US leadership had met with members of the current government on a few separate occasions. Secretary Blinken got the chance to sit down with his Pakistani counterpart, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, and get to know him for the first time in that capacity. Regarding the entire spectrum of challenges, including the subject of food security, it was a very positive, productive discussion, Price continued.
The spokesperson made reference to former premier Imran Khan’s travel to Moscow on the eve of the invasion when she said that the aftereffects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” were also discussed. Price asserted, however, that “Pakistan is a partner of ours” and that the US would seek for ways to strengthen that collaboration in a way that fits both their own interests and the interests of both parties. Nupur Sharma, the BJP’s national spokeswoman, and Naveen Jindal, the head of the Delhi media department, were reportedly both kicked out of the party on June 6. Jindal had tweeted his comments, which have now been removed, but Sharma had said them during a live debate. Sharma responded to criticism by writing on Twitter that she had “some things to say in reaction to statements made about a Hindu divinity,” but she had never intended to offend anyone’s religious sensibilities. The governments of several Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, and Pakistan, publicly condemned the remarks made by party officials. Following the remarks, Muslims in India demonstrated against the xenophobic views of the administration. In response, bulldozers entered Muslim neighbourhoods in India to level homes and punish the suspected rioters collectively.
The latest representation of Hindutva in India is the long arm of the massive earthmovers, relentlessly clawing its way into the private quarters of dissidents’ homes as the long-celebrated democracy writhes beneath the concrete debris. However, Modi’s government, which has essentially violated all international human rights accords, has interestingly managed to avoid all radars that would otherwise emit an ear-piercing bleep over “illiberal” decisions made by regimes around the world.
