Washington, Oct 27: A US government report has praised the religious freedom in India despite mentioning instances of attacks on religious minorities.

The US State Department said, "The National Government generally respected religious freedom in practice; however, some state and local governments imposed limits on this freedom."

According to the report, "Although the vast majority of citizens of every religious group lived in peaceful coexistence, some organized societal attacks against minority religious groups occurred."

It pointed out that the state police and enforcement agencies often did not act swiftly to effectively counter such attacks.

"In general, India's democratic system, open society, independent legal institutions, vibrant civil society, and press all provided mechanisms to address violations of religious freedom when they did occur," the report said.

The report also said, "In India, Government officials responded to a number of new and previous violent events, helping to prevent communal violence and providing relief and rehabilitation packages for victims and their families."

OneIndia News