NEW DELHI, May 20: India has hit back at criticism attributed to Pope Benedict XVI about ‘disturbing signs of religious intolerance’ in the country, saying people of all faiths enjoy equal rights under the law.

“It is acknowledged universally that India is a secular and democratic country in which adherents of all religious faiths enjoy equal rights,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

“The constitution of India states that ‘all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion’,” the ministry said, adding it was responding to reports of the pontiff’s comments.

The statement came a day after the pope criticised India for ‘disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled some regions of India’.

The Times of India and other media reported that the pope voiced strong criticism to India’s new ambassador to the Vatican, Amitava Tripathi, over attempts by some Indian states to introduce legislation to ban what some call ‘forced conversions’.

The pope criticised India for a ‘reprehensible attempt to legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right of religious freedom’, the Times said.

Ashok Singhal, head of the right wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad, criticised the pope’s remarks.

“Vatican is a state. Can anybody propagate and convert Christians in Vatican?” he asked.

This year, the BJP government introduced a bill to ban ‘forced conversions’ in Rajasthan state, but the state governor refused to sign the bill.—AFP