Downplaying a U.S. report which stated India has several significant human rights issues, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said “there should be a proper understanding of developments in India”.
MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi while commenting on the US State Department’s report on human rights said “this is clearly an internal exercise of the US Government”.
“We are not a party to it. There should be a proper understanding of developments in India,” ANI quoted Bagchi as saying.
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Earlier on Tuesday, the State Department in its ‘2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices’ to the US Congress said India has several significant human rights issues, including restrictions on freedom of expression and the press, corruption and tolerance of violations of religious freedom.
The US State Department, however, noted improvement in the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The government continued taking steps to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir by gradually lifting some security and communications restrictions,” PTI quoted the US State Department as saying in its India section of the report.
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Meanwhile, the MEA spokesperson while responding to a poser about the Climate Summit called by US President Joe Biden confirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the summit to be held on April 22 and 23.
“President Biden of the US invited PM Modi to attend the climate leaders’ summit that will happen virtually...PM welcomed President Biden’s initiative and accepted the invitation,” Bagchi said.