India on Tuesday said the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a "biased" entity with a "blatantly" political agenda, rejecting remarks by two senior officials of the organisation claiming that Sikh gurdwaras have been targeted in India with vigilante attacks.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also wondered why the USCIRF chose to remain silent on attacks on religious places in the US and on racial abuse targeting the Indian community in that country.
Last week, two senior officials of the USCIRF, flagging concerns over "attacks" on gurdwaras in India, urged the US government to press New Delhi to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable.
"The USCIRF is a biased and ill-informed organisation with a blatantly political agenda," Jaiswal said, responding to a question on the comments by the USCIRF officials.
"It is particularly telling that the USCIRF and its commissioners have consistently chosen to remain silent on attacks on religious places in the US and on the hate crimes and racial abuse targeted at the Indian community in the US. A prejudiced entity can hardly be taken seriously," he said.
USCIRF Commissioner David Anderson had said on social media: "Over the last several weeks, Sikh gurdwaras in India have been targeted with vigilante attacks, including attempts to harm religious leaders."
Anderson said the US should link security assistance to the Indian government's response to violence that stops people from exercising freedom of religious belief (FoRB).
Another USCIRF Commissioner, Joe Grogan, said attacks on houses of worship in India, including churches, gurdwaras, and mosques, undermine FoRB rights enshrined in international law.
"The US government should continue to press the Indian government to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable & protect places of worship," Grogan said.
In August, the USCIRF called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and asked Washington not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders.
New Delhi had stoutly rejected the remarks.
The USCIRF is a bipartisan US federal government agency. It makes policy recommendations to the US President, Secretary of State, and Congress and tracks the implementation of these recommendations.
(With inputs from PTI)