Claim
Indian government denied visas to US delegation to visit Manipur.
Fact
2016 video interview shared in a false context.
A news interview of one Father Thomas Reese, identified as a member of a US delegation on religious freedom which was denied visa by the Indian government is being widely shared on social media platforms, with users linking it to the ongoing ethical conflict in Manipur.
In the video, Father Reese of the USCIRF terms India’s rejection of their visas as “kind of sad,” and says “ India is a dynamic democracy, it claims to be a non sectarian state. It has pledged itself to international agreements on religious freedoms. So what is it hiding? Why isn’t it willing to have us come and look at the situation?” He also speaks about the situation of Christians and attacks on churches in India.
Multiple social media users shared the video alleging that the Indian government denied visas to the US delegation to visit Manipur and surprise the situation in the conflict-hit state.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
A shorter version of the footage is doing the rounds on Twitter.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
What is USCIRF?
As per its website, “USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world, dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to...
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