India denies visas to U.S. panel on religious freedom, says it has no standing

 India has turned down a travel request for members of a U.S. government panel seeking to review its religious freedom, saying such foreign agencies had no standing to assess the constitutional rights of citizens.

Foreign Minister Jaishankar said the government firmly repudiated the surveys of the commission, which had little knowledge of the rights of Indian citizens, describing it as biased and prejudiced.
“We have also denied visas to USCIRF teams that have sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom,” he told a lawmaker from Modi’s ruling group in a June 1 letter.
The step was taken because the government saw no grounds for a foreign entity such as the USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights, he added.

India Is Becoming a Power in Southeast Asia

The moment has been long in coming, but India is turning into a strategic actor in Southeast Asia. Amid a flurry of regional diplomacy, India has sealed an arms deal with Vietnam, sided with the Philippines over China on sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, and enhanced defense cooperation with Indonesia. It is balance-of-power politics worthy of an international relations textbook: Even though most Southeast Asian governments have long made it their mantra not to choose geopolitical sides, China’s aggressive posture in and around the South China Sea is driving India and its partners in the region together. And even though the United States and its Asian treaty allies are not involved, India’s moves raise the tantalizing possibility that it will increasingly complement the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China.

Rajnath Singh meets top Malaysian leadership during a bilateral visit.

During his visit, the defence minister called on Malaysian Prime Minister YB Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim. He also met Minister of Foreign Affairs Zambry Abd Kadir during which they exchanged views on matters of bilateral importance and cooperation in international forum.

India Clears French Submarine Deal as US Allies Court Modi

India’s Defence Acquisition Council approved the purchase of French submarines and fighter jets as the South Asian country diversifies purchases of military hardware beyond Russia and positions itself as a bulwark against China.
The council on Thursday approved the purchase of three Scorpene submarines and 26 Rafale aircraft, whose price is still to be negotiated with the French government, India’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.