The Indian American Muslim Council is an advocacy group with multiple chapters across the United States. / IAMC website

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group with multiple chapters across the United States, stated that India “more than qualifies as a CPC (Country of Particular Concern)”. The organization has also welcomed the US State Department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom (IRF) report, which highlights the alleged persecution of religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, in India.

“Once again, it is clear from the State Department’s own reporting that India more than qualifies as a CPC,” said Rasheed Ahmed, IAMC Executive Director, in a statement on June.26. “Now it is time for Secretary Blinken to act on these facts, as well as the facts that have been presented by USCIRF for years, and designate India as a CPC.”

On June.26, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released the IRF report and said that there was a "concerning increase" in hate speech, anti-conversion laws, demolition of homes and places of worship for people belonging to minority groups in India.

America’s rare criticism of its close partner India did not go down well with New Delhi. On June.28, India rejected the report, calling it "deeply biased" and one that does not understand the South Asian nation's social fabric.

The Indian government further said the report challenged the integrity of some decisions made by the country's judiciary and incidents were handpicked to form a pre-conceived narrative.

According to IAMC, however, the report covers a “swath of issues” allegedly “faced by religious minorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule”.

The Indian American Muslim Council said in a statement: “This includes anti-Muslim and anti-Christian violence, hate speech and disinformation targeting Muslims, cow vigilantism, punitive home and mosque demolitions, discriminatory policies and laws such as the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and anti-conversion laws, mob violence during Hindu festivals, and attacks on minority homes, shops, and places of worship.”

Further, the report examines the alleged ethnic and religious violence in Manipur state, IAMC stated.

The IAMC has now urged the Indian government to take immediate steps to address these concerns and protect the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their religion.