New Delhi: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom or USCIRF has called for a congressional hearing and expressed extreme disappointment that the US Department of State has “yet again failed to designate Nigeria and India as Countries of Particular Concern.”USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the US Congress to monitor, analyse, and report on religious freedom abroad. The body makes foreign policy recommendations to the arms of the US government.The USCIRF, in a statement, noted that this was despite the fact that both countries repeatedly met the legal standard for such a designation.“There is no justification as to why the State Department did not designate Nigeria or India as a Country of Particular Concern, despite its own reporting and statements. USCIRF calls on Congress to convene a public hearing on the failure of the State Department to follow our recommendations,” USCIRF chair Abraham Cooper and Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie said in the statement.The statement notes atrocities upon Christians in Nigeria along with broader threats to freedom of religion.On India, it says:“In India, in addition to perpetrating egregious religious freedom violations within its borders, the government has increased its transnational repression activities targeting religious minorities abroad and those advocating on their behalf.”In its 2023 Annual Report, the USCIRF had recommended the re-designation of 12 countries without any waivers and also recommended CPC designation for Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, Syria, and Vietnam.The 12 countries which have indeed bee re-designated are Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.In October last year, the USCIRF had noted with concern that “religious freedom conditions in India have notably declined in recent years”.During a hearing on ‘Advancing Religious Freedom within the US – India Bilateral Relationship’ on September 20, USCIRF highlighted the Indian government’s legal framework and enforcement of “discriminatory policies against religious minorities”.