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US plan to send envoy to discuss religious situation ill-conceived, says minorities panel

The National Commission for Minorities today described as ill-conceived the US proposal to send a senior official to India to discuss the religious situation.

"No country can compromise on its sovereignty by agreeing to such proposal," NCM Chairman Tahir Mehmood said in a statement, reacting to the proposal to send US ambassador at large for international religious freedom, Robert Sieple.

Dr Mehmood, however, added that in this age of world-wide consciousness about human rights, "we cannot restrain the world from commenting on the situation of religious freedom in any country.

"Instead of taking offence we shall better go in for circumspection, examine the (US state department) report dispassionately and refute with plausible evidence whatever may be factually wrong in it."

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