Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 22 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid on Sunday criticised the report by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom regarding India's long-term demographic trends and said that the background of the USCIRF members should be scrutinised.

Vaid is one of the 275 signatories who wrote to the US government urging action over the report by the USCIRF recommending that Washington DC, sanction India's Research and Analysis Wing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over alleged discrimination against minority communities. The signatories consist of 25 retired Judges, 119 retired bureaucrats, including 10 ambassadors, and 131 armed forces officers.

Speaking with ANI, Vaid claimed that some of the members of the USCIRF come from Pakistan and possess a biased view of India.

He said, 'USCIRF often comes out with such reports. There are six members of the USCIRF, and the government of the USA appoints them. Their background should be checked because we have information that some of them come from Pakistan, and they have a biased view of India. If you talk of religious freedom, Pakistan, when it gained independence in 1947, had 21% Hindus. Today, 1.5-2% Hindus are left... When Bangladesh gained independence, it had 21-22% Hindus. Today, 7-8% Hindus are left... In India, the population of Muslims, at the time of independence, was 9.5%. Today, the numbers are roughly 20-25%...,' he said.

Additionally, Former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police and another signatory of the statement, Vikram Singh, termed as 'baseless and frivolous', the USCIRF observations regarding religious intolerance in India. Citing the 2011 census statistics, Singh said that the correct facts should have been used in the report.

Speaking with ANI, Singh said, 'USCIRF has come out with a report which states that there is religious intolerance in India... There are 204 signatories of this open letter, and we are absolutely in deep anguish and pain to see these baseless and frivolous allegations against India. We are a vibrant democracy. We have a judicial system. We have a functional constitution unlike many others in the world. Let us go to the statistics in 1947 when India became independent. The population of Muslims in India was 9% today; it is 14% plus as per the 2011 census. Pakistan had a population of 20% Muslims in 1947. Today, they are barely 1.5%. Likewise, in the then East Pakistan and current Bangladesh, the percentage of Hindus was around 20% in 1947. Today in Bangladesh, it is barely 6 to 7%... We would have been extremely delighted if the correct facts had been evaluated.'

The US-based Commission had alleged that India's 'political system facilitates a climate of discrimination toward religious minority communities' despite offering some constitutional protections for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). It called for sanctions against the RSS and the RAW.

The juint statement by former judges, civil servants and armed forces veterans dated March 21 disregarded the USCIRF report as 'disturbing and completely off the mark,' questioning its credibility and balance. It condemned the USCIRF for 'portraying Indian state institutions and socio-cultural organisations like RSS in a negative light.'

The statement said that the USCIRF's recommendation to freeze assets, restricted movement of Bharatiya citizens and placing restrictions on those associated with RSS as 'highly motivated, and displays intellectual bankruptcy and deranged conclusions.' The signatories asked the US government to conduct a background check of the contributors to this report, accusing USCIRF of promoting the agenda of 'anti-Bharat vested interests.'

'All six commissioners of USCIRF are appointed by US Government and funded by American Taxpayers through the US Congress. We call upon the US Government to carry out a strict background check of all the contributors to this report in USCIRF. It will be an eye opener to the tax payers of US, whose funds are being used by USCIRF to produce highly prejudiced and untenable reports to promote hidden agenda of some anti-Bharat vested interests to vitiate their goodwill with the people of Bharat,' the statement read.

Citing the 2011 Census data, the Former Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee and former Additional Chief Secretary M Madan Gopal highlighted a 'broad pattern of demographic expansion or stability among major minority communities,' in defence against the alleged discrimination. They further recognised the role of RSS in 'social service and nation-building,' denouncing the USCIRF report's recommendation to place restrictions on it.

'The reports based on selective in their use of evidence are subject to reduce their own credibility and, more importantly, there is need to advance the genuine cause of religious harmony and human rights....Having been founded in 1925 during the struggle for independence from British occupation, RSS is committed to preserving and embellishing Bharat's stature as a formidable societal and classical civilizational force to reckon with amongst comity of nations. RSS has been continuously serving Bharat's people for the last 100 years with selfless service in areas of rural empowerment, women's progress, healthcare and education through thousands of projects,' said the joint statement. (ANI)