Let’s speak out strongly in favour of religious freedom, says Mike Pompeo

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said Washington and Delhi should “stand up for religious freedom”, reported PTI. He is on a two-day visit to India.

Pompeo’s comment came three days after the Ministry of External Affairs rejected an official report released by the United States that said mob attacks by “violent extremist Hindu groups” against minority communities, particularly Muslims, continued in India in 2018 amid rumours that the victims had traded or killed cows for beef. The Bharatiya Janata Party had said that the US report showed a clear bias against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

“India is the birthplace of four major world religions,” Pompeo said during his speech at the India International Centre, reported ANI. “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.”