ISLAMABAD: The Chairperson of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Vicky Hartzler, said in a post on X on Saturday that the Indian government “continues to implement and enforce discriminatory legislation, including harsh anti-conversion laws” used to target and harass religious minorities, as the commission renewed concern over freedom of religion conditions in the country.
The remarks accompanied the release of the commission’s 2026 annual report, which again recommended that India be designated a “country of particular concern” for what it described as particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
The report, released in March 2026, said conditions in India “continued to deteriorate” in 2025 as the government introduced and enforced legislation targeting minority communities and their places of worship.
According to the report, several Indian states moved to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws, including tougher prison terms.
It said Uttarakhand increased jail terms for what it called illegal conversions, Rajasthan adopted legislation allowing life imprisonment in some cases, and other states announced plans for stricter measures.
The report also noted that India’s Supreme Court sought responses from nine states facing legal challenges over such laws.
The commission further said Indian authorities facilitated the detention and expulsion of citizens and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against minorities.
It cited communal violence in Maharashtra, attacks on Christian families in Odisha, and heightened anti-Muslim sentiment after the April 2025 Kashmir incident.
In its broader overview, the report also referred to India’s expulsion of hundreds of Muslim citizens and dozens of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh.
The commission’s India chapter appears in its 2026 annual report among the countries it recommends for designation as countries of particular concern.
