Russia Accuses US of Attempting to Destabilize India Amid Lok Sabha Elections

Amid the 2024 general election in India, the Russian foreign ministry has accused the US of aiming to destabilize the country following a report by a US federal commission criticizing New Delhi for alleged violations of religious freedom.

According to RT news, a Russian government-owned news network, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Washington's criticisms lack an understanding of India's national mentality and history. She labeled the accusations regarding religious freedoms as unfounded and disrespectful to India as a sovereign nation. Zakharova asserted that such actions by the US are aimed at disrupting India's internal political landscape and complicating the ongoing elections, constituting clear interference in India's affairs.

The allegations arose following the annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which criticized India for purported violations of religious freedom and renewed its recommendation to declare India a "Country of Particular Concern". The report



specifically pointed to the BJP's nationalist policies and the enforcement of various laws, alleging arbitrary detention and targeting of religious minorities and their advocates.

In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the USCIRF's actions as attempts to interfere in India's electoral process and propagate misinformation. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the USCIRF as a biased entity with a political agenda, asserting that their efforts to influence India's democratic exercise would not succeed.

Moreover, Moscow dismissed allegations of Indian involvement in a plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, emphasizing the lack of reliable evidence provided by Washington. Zakharova criticized The Washington Post's report, suggesting that the term "repressive regime" be applied to Washington itself, given its domestic and international policies.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry rejected The Washington Post's report as unwarranted and unsubstantiated, emphasizing its speculative and irresponsible nature.