Indian envoy slams USCIRF over Sharjeel Imam remarks, says panel has 'no locus standi'

Washington DC, U.S. Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra has asked an American advisory body to introspect on its own prejudices and stop lecturing others, after the bipartisan agency flagged arrests in India allegedly on religious grounds.

2020 Delhi riots case: Sharjeel Imam gets interim bail to attend cousin’s wedding 2020 Delhi riots case: Sharjeel Imam gets interim bail to attend cousin’s wedding Delhi High Court scheduled to hear his regular bail plea on September 30 2020 Delhi riots case: Sharjeel Imam gets interim bail to attend cousin’s wedding storyline 1 Mr. Kwatra’s sharp retort on Friday (November 13, 2026) came after the U.S.

Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) shared Sharjeel Imam’s profile on X, describing him as “a Muslim man detained in India for his religious freedom advocacy”. Former Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar Imam has been booked under UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) on allegations of being among the masterminds of the February 2020 riots that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.