India has reacted sharply to the US State Department's '2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices', which is critical of the human rights situation in the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"This report is deeply biased and reflects a poor understanding of India," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a question from Sputnik India at a regular media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday.
"We attach no value to it and urge you to do the same," Jaiswal stated.
The report, released by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, mentions "significant human rights abuses" in India, which include "arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, transnational repression against individuals in another country, arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, violence or threats of violence against journalists, restrictions on internet freedom..," among others.
The Executive Summary of the US report claims that the "outbreak of ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meitei ethnic groups during the year in India’s northeastern state of Manipur resulted in significant human rights abuses".
It cites a Supreme Court observation criticising the federal and state authorities for their "failure" to halt the violence, investigate it properly or supply humanitarian aid to the affected people.
Further, the report also criticises the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and other conflict-hit areas.
"Authorities cited laws against terrorism or protecting national security to arrest or punish critics of the government," the US report claims.