Shri Narendra Modi addressed yet another round of the 3D Bharat Vijay rally
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The
US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Wednesday strongly
condemned lynching of Tabrez Ansari, a Muslim, in Jharkhand and called on the
Tabrez Ansari, was tied to a pole and thrashed with sticks by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Jharkhand.
"We condemn in the strongest terms this brutal murder,in which the perpetrators reportedly forced Ansari to say Hindu chants as they beat him for hours," USCIRF chairman Tony Perkins said."
We call on the Indian Government to take concrete actions that will prevent this kind of violence and intimidation by a thorough investigation of Ansari's murder as well as the local police's handling of the case," he said, adding, "Lack of accountability will only encourage those who believe they can target religious minorities with impunity.
"Report on International Religious Freedom 2018", is available on website of US State Dept.
In its recent annual report, USCIRF said
that the "authorities often failed to prosecute perpetrators of 'cow
vigilante' attacks, which included killings, mob violence, and intimidation".
The report detailed numerous concerns in Jharkhand, including its anti-conversion law and mob violence against religious minorities.
The incidents of lynching by cow vigilantes have been on the rise across the country in the last few years.
Let's defend religious freedom for all, says Mike Pompeo on India visit
Amid lynching incidents, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is on a two-day visit to Delhi, today said US and India should "stand up for religious freedom."
The comment is likely to raise eyebrows, coming on the heels of a US State Department report on the matter that was critical of India on that score, according to NDTV.
In his India policy speech at the India International Centre, Mr Pompeo said: "India is the birthplace of four major world religions. Let's stand up and defend religious freedom for all. Let's speak up strongly together in favour of those rights. For whenever we do compromise those rights, the world is worse off."
Protests in various cities over Ansari lynching
Protests were held in several Indian cities on Wednesday following the lynching of Tabrez Ansari, a Muslim man, last week by a Hindu mob, The First Post reported.
Increasing anger about the killing in Jharkhand prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make his first comments on the matter on Wednesday, telling the upper house of parliament he was "pained" to hear about it and calling for "the strictest possible punishment to the accused".
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