India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Saturday strongly criticised the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for describing jailed activist Sharjeel Imam as a person detained for his religious freedom advocacy, saying the commission had “no locus standi” to pass judgment on the constitutional rights of Indian citizens.
In a post on X, Kwatra accused the commission of making partisan and ill-informed assessments of India's commitment to religious freedom and equal rights.
“USCIRF has no locus standi to sit in judgment over the constitutional rights of Indian citizens. Its habitual partisan, ill-informed, and jaundiced assessments cannot diminish India’s constitutional commitment to religious freedom and equal rights for all faiths,” he said.
“India flourishes defying the agenda-driven partisan narratives of the USCIRF. Taking the same liberty that USCIRF so readily assumes, a word of advice: introspect on your own prejudices and stop lecturing others,” he added.
The ambassador's remarks came after the USCIRF shared Imam's profile on X, describing him as “a Muslim man detained in India for his religious freedom advocacy”. The commission's post linked his detention to his alleged advocacy for religious freedom, drawing a sharp response from the Indian envoy.
Imam, a former student activist, was arrested in January 2020 in connection with protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) held in December 2019 and January 2020. Authorities have accused him of delivering speeches that allegedly incited communal violence.
In August 2020, he was charged in connection with FIR 59/2020, which relates to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots. The charges against him include offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), relating to rioting, murder, promoting enmity, unlawful activities and alleged terrorist acts.
The case is being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell.
Separately, a Delhi court on October 10 declined to entertain a police application seeking cancellation of Imam's seven-day interim bail, even as it observed that he had apparently violated a condition restricting his interaction with the media.
Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts examined video footage submitted by the prosecution, which allegedly showed Imam in a room where a media person was interviewing his brother.
The prosecution argued that Imam had breached his bail conditions by coming into contact with a media person. His counsel, however, denied the allegation, submitting that the footage did not establish any direct interaction between Imam and the journalist.
Imam had been granted interim bail from October 4 to 10 to attend his cousin's wedding functions. The relief was subject to conditions prohibiting him from using social media, interacting with media persons or meeting anyone other than family members, relatives and friends.
Taking note of the defence's submission that Imam had boarded a flight to Delhi and would surrender before the jail authorities that evening, the court declined to cancel his interim bail and disposed of the police application.
(With inputs from ANI)