Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Claim
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken publicly criticises External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over ‘attacks against Christians’ under BJP rule in India.
Fact
Statement in viral Whatsapp forward found to be fabricated.
A purported public statement of US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, criticising India’s External Affairs minister S Jaishankar over the “persecution of Christians” in India, has been going viral on Whatsapp. We have received this forward on our Whatsapp tipline (9999499044), requesting it to be fact-checked.
Here’s how the Whatsapp forward reads:
Direct Attack on the Indian Minister of External Affairs by US Secretary of State, MR. ANTHONY BLINKEN.
Please read it fully.😞👍
_INDIAN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER DR. JAISANKAR WAS SOMEWHAT SHOCKED AND PUZZLED TO HEAR THE STATEMENT FROM THE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN ABOUT THE MINORITY PERSECUTION IN INDIA FOR THE FIRST TIME._
Dr. Jaisankar is trying to shine forth through his talks, without proper reference to any reality!
He made a statement that he has a view of American persecution.
Mr. Blinken replied with facts and figures.
Mr. External Affairs Minister, 1% of the U.S. population are Hindus, the fourth religious population, Christians-Jews-Muslims, and Hindus. The U.S. population is 335 million. That is the 8th largest Hindu population in the world according to the PEW research.
The largest percentage of Hindus are in the State of New Jersey, 3%. 2% in California and Delaware, and 1% average in the rest of the States. They have the highest income ratio in the nation. There are hundreds of Hindu Temples nationwide.
The first generation of Hindus migrated, and the 2nd and the rest of the generation are born here. The Indian Christians were not migrated, their roots are 2000 years.
Can you tell us:
~ How many Hindus were attacked in the U.S.?
~ How many Hindu Temples were attacked in the U.S.?
~ Why the Hindus are trying everything to migrate to a Christian majority nation from the paradise of Hinduism under the BJP rule led by PM Modi?
~ Do you know Mr. Jaisankar, in 10 States of India, there is anti-conversion law specifically targeting Christians?
~ Can you show any such law anywhere in the U.S.?
That is the number one violation of human rights.
Among the 50 nations where Christians are persecuted for their faith, India ranks 10th in place.
~ Do you know the attacks against the Christians in India since your BJP rule came into exitance in 2014?
You were educated at the famous St. Stephens College in New Delhi. That is a very well-known Christian college in India. Rev. C. F. Andrews, the Professor of Philosophy was the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi. Have you ever been forced to convert to the Christian faith while you were a student there?
~ Why did you and your parents show greater interest for you to study in a Christian College?
_If you can’t answer these questions, then your logic has no validity.
Also read: Old Video Of Massive Waves Crashing Against Bridge Falsely Linked To Cyclone Biparjoy
Fact check
Newschecker ran a search for the words used in the viral Whatsapp forward, which did not throw up any credible news reports of such a statement by Blinken. We, however, learnt that this purported statement had first gone viral in April 2022, raising our doubts on its authenticity.
Taking this as a cue, we ran a keyword search for “Blinken Jaishankar persecution”, which led us to this NDTV report, dated April 14, 2022.
“In a sharp response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent comments on a ‘rise in human rights abuses’ in India, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has said “people” are entitled to have views about India’s policies but at the same time, New Delhi is “equally entitled” to have views about them,” read the report.
“At a joint news conference after the 2+2 dialogue of top US and Indian ministers on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said the US is monitoring some recent “concerning developments” in India, including what he called a rise in “human rights abuses” by some government, police, and prison officials,” stated the report, adding that the US Secretary of State’s comments on human rights in India were seen as a rare direct rebuke by Washington of New Delhi in the middle of discussions over India’s stand on Russia’s Ukraine invasion. The comments were made by Blinken on April 11, 2022, during a joint press briefing with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh. The US press release can be seen here.
We then came across The Wire report, dated June 3, 2022, stating that United States secretary of state Anthony Blinken highlighted “rising attacks” in India at the release of the state department’s annual report on international religious freedom, reportedly the second time in less than two months that the United States has directly expressed uneasiness about a rising trend in human rights violations in India.
“Beyond these countries, the report documents how religious freedoms and the rights of religious minorities are under threat in communities around the world. For example, in India, the world’s largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, we have seen rising attacks on people and places of worship, in Vietnam, where authorities harass members of unregistered religious communities; in Nigeria, where several state governments are using anti defamation and blasphemy laws to punish people for expressing their beliefs,” he said.
Blinken’s statement can be read in the US Department of State press release, dated June 2, 2022, on the launch of the 2021 International Religious Freedom Report, confirming that the viral Whatsapp forward comprises fabricated statements.
Also Read: Digitally Altered Video From 2022 Shared As Cyclone Biparjoy Off Gujarat Coast Near Dwarka
Conclusion
A viral WhatsApp forward claiming US Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly criticised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over attacks on Christians in India, was found to be fake.
Result: False
Sources
US Department of State press release, June 2, 2022
US Department of State press release, April 11, 2022
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
