The US is attempting to destabilise India amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, alleged the Russian foreign ministry after a US panel report accused New Delhi of violating relgious freedom.
"The reason [behind the US accusations] is to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the general elections [...]," RT News quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. She added Washington's actions clearly constitute interference in India's internal affairs as it lacks simple understanding of India's national mentality and history, as America continues to make "unfounded accusations" about religious freedoms.
This comes after United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) renewed its recommendation to the US Department of State to declare India a "Country of Particular Concern".
India's Ministry of External Affairs had earlier slammed the US panel, with its spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying, "The US Commission on International Religious Freedom is known as a biased organisation with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report."
The Russian ministry also said that there is no evidence linking India to Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's murder plot in the US.
"According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," added Zakharova.
