India has rebuffed a report released by the US state department on alleged human rights violations in Manipur, dismissing it as biased and lacking in comprehension of the Indian context.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs (MEA), emphasized the insignificance of the report and urged others to disregard its contents.

The US state department’s annual report on Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released on April 23, highlighted purported human rights abuses in Manipur following ethnic conflict outbreaks.

According to the report, clashes between the Kuki and Meitei ethnic groups in Manipur led to substantial casualties, with media reports citing over 175 fatalities and more than 60,000 people displaced between May 3 and November 15 last year.

US secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, oversaw the release of the report, which also addressed other incidents in India, including raids by tax authorities on the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) office and the conviction of Rahul Gandhi by a Gujarat court, resulting in a two-year prison sentence.

The report further alleged that the Indian government invoked emergency powers to prohibit the screening of a documentary by the BBC and compelled media companies to remove links to the video.

Additionally, student protesters who organized viewing events were reportedly detained by authorities.