In a major development, the Chairman of the National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights (NCPCR), Priyank Kanoongo, informed that the statutory body will take action against a Christian NGO named ‘Persecution Relief’ for tarnishing the reputation of India.
In a tweet, Kanoongo said, ‘We will take strong action against those who have published a false report about the abuse of Child protection law in India and shared it in 150 countries to defame and tarnish the country’s global image. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is strict in dealing with such matters. “
बाल संरक्षण क़ानूनों के दुरुपयोग की झूठी रिपोर्ट प्रकाशित एवं 150 देशों में वितरित कर दुनिया भर में भारत का अपमान करके मेरे देश की छवि ख़राब करने के कुत्सित प्रयास का माकूल जवाब दिया जाएगा।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) March 6, 2021
माननीय@CMMadhyaPradesh श्री @ChouhanShivraj जी इस तरह के मामले में बहुत सख़्त हैं। pic.twitter.com/9cEKoM0knP
He further added, “It is important to mention that an organisation by the name of Persecution Relief has published the contentious report. And American Commission USCIRF has now taken cognisance of the report, which has led to the tarnishing of India’s global image. A probe, conducted on the instructions of the General Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, has found the allegations levelled by the organisation as false.”
उल्लेखनीय है कि पर्सयूकेशन रेलीफ़ नामक संस्था की भोपाल से प्रकाशित उक्त रिपोर्ट को अमेरिकन कमीशन #USCIRF ने संज्ञान में लिया था,जिससे देश की छवि ख़राब हुई थी।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) March 6, 2021
मुख्यसचिव मध्यप्रदेश शासन कि निर्देश द्वारा प्रस्तुत जाँच रिपोर्ट में उक्त संस्था के सभी आरोप झूठे पाए गए हैं।
How ‘Persecution Relief’ tried to label Indians as ‘religious fanatics’?
Earlier, Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) had asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to crackdown on ‘Persecution Relief’ for imparting communal colour to incidents of murders and suicides. The Christian NGO had joined hands with the US-based Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) and its report was included in the annual US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report.
As such, India was placed in the list of “Countries of Particular” concern in 2020, following the implementation of the humanitarian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Persecution Relief also gathered information about incidents of crime in India and shared it with various US-based evangelical organisations. They, however, added a communal twist to the incidents, and labelled Indians as ‘religious fanatics.’ While speaking to Swarajya, Persecution Relief claimed that their objective was to draw the government’s attention to ‘hate crimes’ against the Christian community.
However, LRPF Working President A S Santhosh emphasised that while the mainstream media and police officials ruled out the communal angle in 8 such incidents covered by Persecution relief, the Christian NGO however alleged ‘religious angle’. The most bizarre example was that of a pastor who died of electrocution in Rajasthan. The case too was dubbed as an example of ‘Christian persecution.’ In his defence, Persecution Relief founder, “I have no other agenda but to selflessly work, to give a united voice and to stand with my persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, providing prayer and practical help.”