Washington: State Department spokesperson has said, on Wednesday the US’ annual official report on international religious freedom will be released.
The status of the religious freedom will describe in the Congressional-mandated report for year 2015.
This is first time when State Department would be commenting on the status of religious freedom in India a first full year under the Modi government.
On Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters, the report will cover government policies for disobeying religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations, and individuals, and US policies to promote religious freedom around the world,”
In the absence of Secretary of State John Kerry, the annual report would be released by the Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The US Department of State submits the report in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, Trudeau said.
In last report of the year, the State Department had noted that there had been restriction on free expression on the religious basis in India. “Authorities continued to enforce laws designed to protect “religious sentiments” adding that some government officials made discriminatory statements against members of religious minorities.
The State Department said, Some cases where local police failed to respond effectively to communal violence, including attacks against religious minorities, while local officials used broad authorities to organize police and security forces to control religious violence,”###
