India hits back at ‘biased’ US

India yesterday defended its record on religious tolerance and rebuked the United States for its own rights issues after a report accused Indian officials of supporting attacks on minority worshippers. Washington's annual report on religious freedom contained a rare -- if indirect -- criticism of its emerging ally, documenting incendiary comments by public officials and accounts of discrimination against Muslims and Christians. "In India, some officials are ignoring or even supporting rising attacks on people and places of worship," said Rashad Hussain, the US ambassador at large for international religious freedom, at the report's launch on Thursday. New Delhi's foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said senior US officials had made "ill-informed" and "biased" comments coinciding with the report's release.