Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of India’s designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom.

India has a proud history of religious tolerance and inclusive government. The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions maintain a continuous assessment of the human rights situation across India, talking regularly to the Government of India, including about freedom of religion or belief. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level. We also continue to engage Indian religious leaders of all faiths and to support Indian partners to promote interfaith relations among young people.