In a strongly-worded rebuttal, India said today that it is the US religious freedom body USCIRF that should be designated internationally as an “entity of concern” for its repeated “pattern of biased and politically motivated assessments” and “misrepresentation” of facts. 

New Delhi’s statement came hours after the US body’s annual religious freedom report claimed that minorities in India continue to face deteriorating treatment. The panel’s report also called for imposing sanctions on India’s external intelligence agency R&AW over its alleged involvement in the “assassination” plots against ‘Khalistani’ separatists and extremists overseas.

“We have seen the recently released 2025 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which once again continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, raising concerns on the authenticity of the body over such “agenda-based” claims.

Indirectly calling the panel’s report fake, India questioned if at all the USCIRF is even genuine in its work and concerns on religious freedom.

“The USCIRF’s persistent attempts to misrepresent isolated incidents and cast aspersions on India’s vibrant multicultural society reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom,” the foreign ministry said.

Saying that the US religious freedom body is far from reality, New Delhi said it does not even expect the panel to engage with the truth. “India is home to 1.4 billion people who are adherents to all religions known to mankind. However, we have no expectation that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India’s pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities,” noted the foreign ministry.

Labeling the US religious freedom body as “an entity of concern”, India said, “Such efforts to undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed. In fact, it is the USCIRF that should be designated as an entity of concern.”

Despite the US panel’s recommendation, It is unlikely that the US government will sanction India’s external intelligence agency R&AW or Research & Analysis Wing for its alleged involvement in plotting the killings of extremists and terrorists overseas. This is because the panel’s views and recommendations are not binding on the government.

In its current report, the US panel has recommended that India be designated as a “country of particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom and “impose targetted sanctions” against R&AW. It also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP “propagated hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities”.
 

On a day the Mumbai Police sent him a second summons for his comments on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, comedian Kunal Kamra posted another satirical song, this time targeting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The satirical take on the song ‘Hawa Hawai’ from the 1987 superhit film ‘Mr India’ was part of the original comedy special that was recorded at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai’s Khar about a month ago and posted by Kunal Kamra on YouTube on Sunday. The comedian reposted the song on Wednesday with popcorn emojis, which was seen by many as a dig at the controversy which erupted late last year over the varying rates of GST (Goods and Services Tax) levied on the movie theatre snack. 

In the video, the stand-up comic poked fun at the government over potholes, the digging up of roads for Metro construction, and bridge collapses. Stating that corporate employees pay higher taxes than the corporations they work for, the comedian shifted focus to Nirmala Sitharaman, whom he referred to as “sariwaali didi” and “Nirmala tai”.

Second Summons

A case was filed by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel against Kunal Kamra over another satirical song in the show based on ‘Bholi Si Surat’ from the 1997 blockbuster ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. In the song, the comedian had – without naming him – made some comments on Mr Shinde. It also had a mention of  ‘gaddar’ (traitor) which was seen as a reference to Mr Shinde splitting the Shiv Sena in 2022 and joining hands with the BJP, leading to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government losing power in Maharashtra.

The Mumbai Police, which is investigating the case, had summoned Mr Kamra on Tuesday but the comedian had sought a week’s time to appear. On Wednesday, the police rejected the request and issued another summons to Mr Kamra. 

Tuesday’s Post

The comedian had appeared defiant even after the first summons had been issued, posting a video on Tuesday with shots of Shiv Sena workers vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club overlaid with yet another satirical song from his comedy special.

Changing the words of “Hum Honge Kamyaab” (we shall overcome) to “Hum Honge Kangaal” (we will be bankrupt), Mr Kamra overlaid the lyrics with shots of Sena workers vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club, throwing chairs and leaving photos and documents on some stairs. 

The post also featured a clip of Shiv Sena Yuva Sena General Secretary Rahool Kanal, one of the 12 people affiliated to the Sena who were arrested for ransacking the studio. Using a popular movie dialogue, Mr Kanal had told news agency ANI that this (an apparent reference to the vandalism) was only a trailer and the picture was yet to come.

‘People’s Mandate’

Hitting out at Mr Kamra and the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, Mr Shinde said the people’s decisive mandate in favour of the alliance consisting of his Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar faction had settled the debate on who the real “traitor” was.

Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Wednesday, Mr Shinde said, “You keep calling me ‘gaddar, gaddar‘, you will soon have to close the ‘daar‘ (door in Marathi) of your party.”

One in five Ultra-HNIs in India plans to settle abroad for better investment opportunities, tax benefits, and connectivity, according to a Kotak Mahindra Bank survey. Ultra-HNIs are diversifying their assets globally, focusing on succession planning, healthcare, and education. EY highlights their global identity and increased spending on family offices and collectibles to preserve wealth and heritage.