Many religious leaders in India have expressed strong reservations to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assertions that there was a concerning rise in hate speech and anti-conversion law in India. Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, President of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council and successor to the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah denounced the report as false, bogus and fabricated. He said the Constitution provides complete freedom to people of all religions in India. The government ensures that all kinds of religious faiths and its followers co-exist without any restrictions.

Haji Syed Salman Chishti, President of the Chishti Foundation of Ajmer dismissed the report, stating that opinions of other countries do not matter. The Constitution, law and order, and infrastructure are capable of handling internal matters.

Nirmal Singh, President of the Central Singh Sabha Gurdwara, also criticised the report, claiming that the American report is wrong. India is living in a golden age. Today, people of every religion are represented in the Parliament.

The National Coordinator of the Indian Sarva Dharma Parliament, Maharshi Bhrigu Peethadhishwar Goswami Sushil Maharaj, denounced the report and said India is the only country where everyone is safe, regardless of religion or community. Minorities are the safest in India, and this report is just an attempt to weaken the country.

The US in its 2023 report on International Religious Freedom on Wednesday, criticised India over religious freedom and also voiced alarm over rising bigotry against certain religious groups across the world.

India has rejected the US State Department’s report. Briefing media in New Delhi last evening, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it lacks understanding of India’s social fabric and is visibly driven by vote bank considerations and a prescriptive outlook. He added that it has selectively picked incidents to advance a pre-conceived narrative.