Introspect, stop lecturing: Indian envoy rebukes US panel over Sharjeel Imam post

Vinay Mohan Kwatra rebuked USCIRF after it highlighted Sharjeel Imam's detention. He said its assessments could not undermine India's commitment to religious freedom.Vinay Mohan Kwatra rebuked USCIRF after it highlighted Sharjeel Imam's detention. New Delhi,Nov 14, 2026 19:56 ISTIndian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra has hit back at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), asking the advisory body to introspect on its own prejudices and stop lecturing others after it flagged the detention of former Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar Sharjeel Imam.Kwatra's sharp response on Friday came after the bipartisan US agency shared Imam's profile on X, describing him as "a Muslim man detained in India for his religious freedom advocacy"."USCIRF has no locus standi to sit in judgment over the constitutional rights of Indian citizens," Kwatra said in a post on X.He accused the commission of making habitual partisan, ill-informed and prejudiced assessments, saying they could not undermine India's constitutional commitment to religious freedom and equal rights for all faiths. "India flourishes, defying the agenda-driven partisan narratives of the USCIRF," he said.Taking a swipe at the commission, Kwatra added, "Taking the same liberty that USCIRF so readily assumes, a word of advice: introspect on your own prejudices and stop lecturing others." Imam has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on allegations that he was among the masterminds of the February 2020 riots in Delhi. The violence left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.The riots erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).India has repeatedly described USCIRF as a biased organisation lacking credibility.Established by the US government in 1998 following the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act, USCIRF is an advisory body whose recommendations are non-binding on the US State Department.- EndsWith PTI inputs.