Russia has blasted Washington’s “unfounded accusations” against New Delhi for violating religious freedoms
Washington desires to “unbalance” India’s domestic politics in order to complicate the ongoing parliamentary elections, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a media briefing on Wednesday.
She called US criticism of New Delhi over alleged violations of religious freedom “regular unfounded accusations” that reflect a “misunderstanding” of India’s national mentality, the historical context and “disrespect for India as a state.”
“I am sure that this comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, imperialism,” Zakharova noted.
In answering a question about a recent Washington Post report that placed India together with “other repressive regimes” that, according to the outlet, include China, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, she said “it is difficult to come up with a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs.”
Asked to comment on US accusations of Indian involvement in the assassination attempt of Sikh separatist activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, she said that Washington has not yet provided any “reliable evidence” that Indian citizens were involved. “Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable.”
"Unfounded Accusations:" US Aims to Destabilise India During #LokSabha2024 – Russian Foreign Ministry
Spox Maria Zakharova has said Washington lacks simple understanding of India's national mentality and history, as America continues to make "unfounded accusations" about… pic.twitter.com/M8G0gtiP92