Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 22 (ANI): Former Kerala DGP TP Senkumar, one of the 275 signatories who wrote to the US government urging action over the recent report by USCIRF, has questioned the background of members of the US-based commission, which claimed that religious freedom continued to deteriorate in India.

Senkumar is among the officials, including former judges, diplomats and bureaucrats, who have written to the US government recommending that Washington DC sanction India's Research and Analysis Wing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over alleged discrimination against minority communities. The signatories consist of 25 retired judges, 119 retired bureaucrats, including 10 ambassadors, and 131 armed forces officers.

Speaking with ANI, the former DGP accused the commission of having a Pakistani-American vice-chairman, Asif Muhammad, attributing it to the biased nature of the report.

Defending the country, he said that India has received every religion and minorities are constitutionally protected, dismissing the claim of the report. He further referred to the atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh to reiterate India's superiority in religious freedom.

'...Look at the members of the commission. The vice-chairman is a former Pakistani, Asif Muhammad. He has a personal interest in blaming India... In the history of the world, we are the only nation that has received every religion... Much has jumped in the Muslim population (since independence). In the Christian population, the jump is not seen because most of them are remaining crypto. I have batchmates in IAS and all who got selected in the Scheduled Caste category, but they are practising Christians... But what happened to Pakistan?.. About 22% of the population in Pakistan was Hindu in 1947. Now they are less than 1%, and we can see atrocities done to them every day... In Bangladesh, every atrocity is being committed. How many Hindus have been killed?...,' he said.

'The Hindus in India should cry because they do not get equal rights. Even according to our Constitution, the minorities get special treatment... The temples are run by the government; they are not given to the Hindus... Hindus are not getting equal rights in India, and they (minorities) are getting more rights than Hindus in India... At the same time, a Pakistani Vice Chairman sitting on that commission now says that India is having a problem with religious freedom,' he added.

Senkumar further cited the Karthigai Deepam row in Tamil Nadu and the Waqf Act to back his argument that Hindus, even as a majority, allegedly face religious discrimination.

'Look at Thirupparankundram, which even now the Supreme Court told it belongs to the Hindus. Even with the High Court order, we couldn't light the lamp. That is what the government of Tamil Nadu did. Hindus couldn't light the lamp on Karthigai Deepam. Now, the Supreme Court even held that it doesn't belong to the Waqf... The Waqf Act, the Places of Worship Act, all these are against the Hindus. And even now, even after killing us, almost making us nobody in our own country, we have no country to go to. We have only India to strive in and live in, then say that in India there is no religious freedom? Yes, that is right. In India, there is no religious freedom for Hindus...' Senkumar said.

The US-based Commission had alleged that India's 'political system facilitates a climate of discrimination toward religious minority communities' despite offering some constitutional protections for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). It called for sanctions against the RSS and the RAW.

The joint statement by former judges, civil servants and armed forces veterans dated March 21 disregarded the USCIRF report as 'disturbing and completely off the mark,' questioning its credibility and balance. It condemned the USCIRF for 'portraying Indian state institutions and socio-cultural organisations like RSS in a negative light.'

The statement said that the USCIRF's recommendation to freeze assets, restricted movement of Bharatiya citizens and placing restrictions on those associated with RSS as 'highly motivated, and displays intellectual bankruptcy and deranged conclusions.' The signatories asked the US government to conduct a background check of the contributors to this report, accusing USCIRF of promoting the agenda of 'anti-Bharat vested interests.' (ANI)