US state department on Monday appeared to rule out accepting the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s recommendation to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” for “engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”, preferring to speak directly to the Indian government.

The US said it would directly condemn communal violence and hate speech instead of jeopardising a “consequential relationship” with such a designation.

At a background briefing on the release of the 2022 International Religious Freedom Report, a US state department official was asked what the Biden administration was planning to do about pressuring the Indian government with respect to religious minorities, particularly Muslims, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit next month.

The question was prefaced with a reference to the USCIRF’s report, which earlier this month had for the fourth year running recommended to the state department that India should be designated a CPC.

“In those cases where the secretary of state designates a CPC, the US Congress is notified, and where non-economic policy options designed to bring about cessation of the particularly severe violations of religious freedom have reasonably been exhausted, an economic measure generally must be imposed,” according to the state department.

Responding to the question on how the US proposedto pressurise the Indiangovernment, the state department official said: “We’llcontinue to speak directly with our colleagues and counterparts in India regarding these concerns.”

Also, the US will continue to encourage the government to condemn violence and hold accountable those indulging in violence and hate speech against religious minorities.

About the India chapter in the report, the official said: “What we outline in today’s report is a targeted — continued targeted attacks against religious communities, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits and indigenous communities; dehumanising rhetoric, including open calls for genocide against Muslims; lynching and other hate-fueled violence; attacks on houses of worship and home demolitions, and in some cases impunity and even clemency for those who’ve engaged in attacks on religious minorities — we’re also continuing to see, at the state level, some restrictions on religious attire.”

The official also pointed out that the US Holocaust Museum “continues to draw considerable attention to the human rights situation in India and lists it as one of its top countries of concernand with — with regards to potential for mass killings there”.

Late in the night, the external affairs ministry reacted to the latest US report and said: “Regrettably, such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding.”

The spokesperson criticised the state department official for the comments made in the background briefing. “Motivated and biased commentary by some US officials only serves to undermine further the credibility of these reports,” he said.