India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, hit back at the USCIRF for its remarks on Sharjeel Imam. Kwatra said, "USCIRF has no locus standi to sit in judgment over the constitutional rights of Indian citizens." He accused the commission of making biased observations about India’s commitment to religious freedom.
The USCIRF shared a profile of Sharjeel Imam on X, describing him as "a Muslim man detained in India for his religious freedom advocacy".
India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, strongly criticised the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) over its remarks on jailed activist Sharjeel Imam, asserting that the commission had "no locus standi" to pass judgment on the constitutional rights of Indian citizens.
In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Kwatra rejected the commission's assessment of Sharjeel Imam's detention, accusing it of making partisan, ill-informed and biased observations about 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," Kwatra 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.
Kwatra's remarks came after the USCIRF shared a profile of Sharjeel Imam on X, describing him as "a Muslim man detained in India for his religious freedom advocacy".
The commission's post portrayed Sharjeel Imam's detention as being linked to his advocacy for religious freedom, prompting a sharp response from the Indian envoy.
Sharjeel Imam, a former student activist, was arrested in January 2020 in connection with protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which took place in December 2019 and January 2020. 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 invoked provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including those relating to rioting, murder, promoting enmity, unlawful activities and alleged terrorist acts.
The case is being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell.
Separately, on October 10, a Delhi court declined to entertain a Delhi Police plea seeking cancellation of Sharjeel Imam's seven-day interim bail, even as it observed that he had apparently violated a condition restricting his interaction with the media.