Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of instances of persecution on the grounds of religion or belief in some Indian states; when they last raised this with the government of India, including the High Commission of India in London; and what response they have received from the government of India.

The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities, regardless of faith.

I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad] discussed human rights with the Government of India, leaders of faith groups and others during my visit to India in May 2023. FoRB was also among the issues discussed during my visit to India in February. Where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India, consistently monitor human rights in the country, regularly engage with civil society and religious representatives, and have run projects supporting human rights.