India Rejects USCIRF Call for RSS Sanctions
India has rejected a call by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing the US federal advisory body of bias and questioning its credibility.
India Rejects USCIRF Call for RSS Sanctions
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said USCIRF had repeatedly made what India considers misleading and inflammatory statements about the country. He accused the commission of pursuing its own agenda and said India did not expect it to acknowledge the country’s pluralistic social framework.
The response followed remarks by USCIRF members urging the US government to consider sanctions against RSS members found responsible for alleged violations of freedom of religion or belief.
Mohan Bhagwat US Visit Draws Attention
The controversy comes ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s scheduled visit to New York on August 29 as part of a wider overseas tour.
USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood opposed extending high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies to RSS leaders and alleged that groups associated with the organisation had been involved in attacks against religious minorities. These remain allegations made by the commission and have been rejected by India.
Bhagwat is expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora and local organisations during the visit.
USCIRF Recommendations Are Non-Binding
USCIRF is an independent bipartisan US federal agency that monitors religious freedom internationally and makes policy recommendations to the US President, Secretary of State and Congress. Its recommendations are advisory and are not automatically adopted by the US government.
Earlier in 2026, the commission recommended targeted sanctions against individuals and entities it accused of involvement in religious freedom violations in India and again sought India’s designation as a “country of particular concern.” New Delhi rejected those findings as selective and distorted.
