India slams US human rights report, says 'reflects poor understanding'

India has strongly criticised a recent report by the US State Department, which highlighted "significant human rights abuses" in Manipur following violence in the state last year. The Indian government dismissed the document as deeply biased and reflective of a poor understanding of the country.

During the Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) weekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to the report, stating, "This report is deeply biased and reflects a very poor understanding of India. We attach no value to it and urge you also to do the same."

The '2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India', released by the US State Department, highlighted an ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur, leading to what it described as "significant human rights abuses."

The report also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's condemnation of the incident as "shameful" and his call for action on the case.

In addition, the report highlighted a 60-hour search of the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices on February 14, noting that it occurred shortly after the release of a documentary on PM Modi by the broadcaster. The report indicated that while tax authorities cited irregularities in the BBC's tax payments and ownership structure as reasons for the search, officials also seized equipment from journalists not involved in the organisation's financial processes.

The report also referenced the conviction and sentencing of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a case related to defaming the Modi surname, resulting in his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. However, Gandhi was later reinstated after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction.

Despite these criticisms, the report acknowledged some positive developments, such as the government's permission for a march in Srinagar in July last year, allowing Shias to mark Muharram. 

"This procession represented the first government-sanctioned recognition of the event in Srinagar since it was banned in 1989. The government imposed some restrictions on the use of slogans or the display of logos of any banned organisations," it said.