US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday released the State Department’s 2023 religious freedom report for over 200 countries and claimed there was a concerning increase in hate speech, anti-conversion laws, demolition of homes and places of worship for people belonging to minority groups in India.

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

“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,” Blinken said.

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

The report also said that some members of minority groups challenged the government’s ability and willingness to protect them from violence, investigate crimes against members of religious minority groups, and protect their freedom of religion or belief.

Last year, India rejected the State Department’s religious freedom report on India and said it was based on misinformation and flawed understanding.

“Motivated and biased commentary by some US officials only serves to undermine further the credibility of these reports,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.