Introduction
At a time when India has been investing much in showcasing its muscle as an important emerging power, its deteriorating relations with some key Western countries have pushed New Delhi deep into a diplomatic conundrum. Reported involvement of the Indian government officials in assassination plots inside Canada and the U.S. has caused an unprecedented rift in India’s relations with these countries. On the other hand, a recent report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), while highlighting continuously mounting challenges for minorities, rights groups, and critics of the Indian government inside India, recommends Washington enhance its diplomatic pressure on New Delhi. This poses serious challenges for India’s credibility in the Western capitals that are already suspicious of its apparent double-face in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
