Rise in anti-conversion laws, hate speech in India concerning: Blinken

There has been a "concerning increase" in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities in India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

In his remarks at the release of the annual State Department report on international religious freedom, Blinken said on Wednesday that at the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom.

The report stated that senior US officials continued to raise concerns about religious freedom issues with their Indian counterparts in 2023.

"In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities. At the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom," the secretary of state said.

Ten of 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Some of these states also impose ...