In a statement, the USCIRF said it was alarmed by India’s “increased transnational targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf.”
Stating that “New Delhi’s alleged involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatists Hardeep Singh Nijjar inView post Canada and plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States was deeply troubling”, USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck alleged these instances “represent a severe escalation of India’s efforts to silence religious minorities and human rights defenders both within its country and abroad.”
“We call on the Biden administration to acknowledge the Indian government’s perpetration of particularly severe religious freedom violations and designate it as a country of particular concern (CPC),” Schneck said.
“Transnational repression occurs when states use intimidation, harassment, or violence against those living outside their borders. Transnational repression campaigns often target political and human rights activists, journalists, and members of religious and ethnic minority groups. In extreme cases, tactics include detention, reprisals against family members, kidnapping, or, as illustrated by India, assassinations,” the USCIRF statement added.
The US religious freedom watchdog also mentioned an indictment filed by the US Department of Justice in November accusing an Indian national of planning and directing a plot, from India, to allegedly kill Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. The Indian national, according to the indictment, was working with a 52-year-old Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, also known as Nick, who was arrested by Czech authorities on June 30 this year and has been charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
“Indian authorities have used spyware and online harassment campaigns to target and intimidate journalists and activists abroad advocating on behalf of religious minorities,” the statement further read.
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USCIRF Commissioner David Curry stated that “Indian authorities, within its own borders, have repeatedly used draconian legislation like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and anti-conversion laws to systematically crack down on religious minorities, journalists, and activists.” He added that “extending this repression to target religious minorities from India living abroad, including intimidation tactics against journalists, is especially dangerous and cannot be ignored.”
The USCIRF further urged the US government “to continue its active engagement with senior Indian officials and international partners to ensure religious minorities can live and express themselves without fear of reprisal, whether in India or elsewhere.”
Reacting to the US allegation of foiled murder plot, New Delhi last month had said that it was a “matter of concern” and “contrary to Indian government’s policy”.
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In its 2023 annual report on religious freedom, the USCIRF had asked the US State Department to designate India as a “country of particular concern” on the status of religious freedom along with several other nations. The USCIRF has been making similar recommendations to the State Department since 2020, which have not been accepted so far.
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