'Jaundiced Assessments': India Hits Back At USCIRF Over Sharjeel Imam Remarks

India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, has strongly criticised the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) over its remarks on jailed activist Sharjeel Imam. Kwatra said the commission had "no locus standi" to comment on the constitutional rights of Indian citizens, accusing it of making partisan and ill-informed assessments of India's religious freedom record. His response came after USCIRF described Imam as a Muslim man detained in India for his religious freedom advocacy. Imam was arrested in January 2020 in connection with protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Authorities accused him of delivering speeches that allegedly incited communal violence.