In a recent statement, Russia has accused the United States of attempting to interfere in India’s upcoming general parliamentary elections. Maria Zakharova, the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, asserted that such interference is aimed at destabilizing India’s internal political landscape.

Zakharova pointed out that the United States’ alleged meddling is part of a broader campaign to disrupt India’s electoral process. She emphasized that this interference is intended to complicate the ongoing general parliamentary elections in India. “Of course, this is part of interference in India’s internal affairs,” Zakharova stated unequivocally.

India’s response to external interference was robust. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, rebuked the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for its recent criticisms of India’s religious freedom record. Jaiswal denounced the USCIRF as a “biased” entity with a political agenda, accusing it of spreading propaganda against India under the guise of an annual report.

Jaiswal emphasized that India’s diverse, pluralistic, and democratic ethos cannot be understood by organizations like the USCIRF, which persistently overlook these aspects. He reiterated India’s resilience against external meddling, stating, “Their efforts to interfere in the largest electoral exercise of the world will never succeed.”

The USCIRF’s latest annual report renewed its recommendation to the US State Department to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” due to alleged violations of religious freedom. The report criticized India for purportedly deteriorating religious freedom conditions and for reinforcing “discriminatory” nationalist policies, particularly under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).