NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Some officers in India are ignoring and even supporting rising assaults on folks and locations of worship within the nation, a U.S. official stated late on Thursday after the discharge of a report on non secular freedom globally in 2021.

The report stated assaults on members of spiritual minority communities, together with killings, assaults, and intimidation, had occurred all through final yr in India. These included cow vigilantism – assaults on non-Hindus for allegedly slaughtering cows or buying and selling in beef.

Most Hindus, who account for about 80% of India’s 1.35 billion folks, think about cows sacred. Many states dominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist get together have enacted legal guidelines or toughened previous ones in opposition to slaughtering cows.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the report confirmed non secular freedom and the rights of spiritual minorities have been beneath risk world wide.

“For instance, in India, the world’s largest democracy and residential to an incredible variety of faiths, we have seen rising assaults on folks and locations of worship,” Blinken stated.

Rashad Hussain, who leads the U.S. State Division’s efforts to observe non secular freedom world wide, stated some Indian officers have been “ignoring and even supporting rising assaults on folks and locations of worship”.

India’s overseas ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. It has beforehand pushed again in opposition to any commentary from outdoors on inner affairs, particularly from america.

Disputes between non secular communities in India over locations of worship have flared ever for the reason that nation received independence from British rule in 1947, however they’ve turn out to be extra widespread in recent times. Muslims make up round 13% of India’s inhabitants.