Govt accuses US panel of trying to politicise violence in Delhi

India has accused a federal United States commission of trying to politicise the violent clashes over its new citizenship law in its national capital.

Soon after the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed “grave concern” over violent clashes in Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India dismissed its remarks.

“The ongoing violence we are witnessing in Delhi and the reported attacks against Muslims, their homes and shops, and their houses of worship are greatly disturbing,” Tony Perkins, chairman of the USCIRF, said, adding: “One of the essential duties of any responsible government is to provide protection and physical security for its citizens, regardless of faith.”

Also read — Comments by USCIRF, others on Delhi violence factually wrong: MEA

The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government commission established by the US Congress to monitor, analyse and report on threats to religious freedom in other countries.

“We urge the Indian government to take serious efforts to protect Muslims and others targeted by mob violence,” said the USCIRF chairman.

The commission noted that as US President Donald Trump’s visit to India had come to its end, north-east Delhi had been “rocked by deadly rioting, with reports of violence and mobs specifically targeting Muslims”. “According to reports, several mosques have also been set alight or vandalised. Many Muslim residents have been forced to flee the area. This unrest comes in the wake of widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act following its passage in December 2019.”

Also read — Violence in Delhi over CAA draws global attention

The USCIRF had earlier said that the CAA had enshrined “a pathway to citizenship for immigrants” specifically excluding Muslims and setting a legal criterion for citizenship based on religion. It had expressed apprehension that the Government of India was creating “a religious test” for citizenship that would “strip citizenship from millions of Muslims”. The commission had also suggested President Donald Trump’s administration should consider imposing sanctions on Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders of India for enacting the new law.

“The brutal and unchecked violence growing across Delhi cannot continue,” USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava said. “The Indian government must take swift action to ensure the safety of all of its citizens. Instead, reports are mounting that the Delhi police have not intervened in violent attacks against Muslims, and the government is failing in its duty to protect its citizens. These incidents are even more concerning in the context of efforts within India to target and potentially disenfranchise Muslims across the country, in clear violation of international human rights standards,” said Bhargava.

Eliot Engel, chairman of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed concern over the violent clashes, which resulted in the death of at least 24 people and injured many others. “@RepEliotEngel: Deeply troubled by the deaths from the communal violence in India over the past couple of days,” the US House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted, adding, “The right to protest is a key aspect in democracy, but they must remain peaceful and police must ensure the safety of all.”
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee too had earlier expressed concern over the CAA, noting that “any religious test for citizenship” would undermine the “most basic democratic tenet”.

“We have seen comments made by USCIRF, sections of the media and a few individuals regarding recent incidents of violence in Delhi. These are factually inaccurate and misleading, and appear to be aimed at politicising the issue,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the MEA, said on Thursday. “Our law enforcement agencies are working on the ground to prevent violence and ensure restoration of confidence and normalcy.”

The MEA spokesperson also said that senior representatives of the government had been involved in efforts to restoring normalcy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also “publicly appealed for peace and brotherhood”. “We would urge that irresponsible comments are not made at this sensitive time.”

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF classified India as a “Tier 2” country for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the “systematic, ongoing, egregious standard for designations as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, is also following the situation in Delhi. People “should be allowed to demonstrate peacefully, and that security forces show restraint” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, said.