New Delhi: The Indian National Congress on Monday called for a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended sanctions against the organisation and India’s external intelligence agency.
In a post on X, the opposition party said the United States should impose a ban on the RSS, citing the commission’s recommendations to the administration of Donald Trump. The party referred to the findings in the report, which claimed the organisation poses a threat to religious freedom.
The Congress argued that any group opposing constitutional principles could undermine unity and social harmony in the country. It also referenced historical developments, noting that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had imposed a ban on the RSS following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
The demand came a day after the USCIRF released its annual report recommending targeted sanctions against organisations including the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing over alleged violations of religious freedom. The commission also urged Washington to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a classification used for nations accused of systematic and severe violations of religious freedom.
In its report, the commission claimed that religious freedom conditions in India had continued to decline in 2025. It alleged that authorities had introduced or strengthened legislation affecting religious minorities, including stricter anti conversion laws in several states.
The report also cited communal clashes in states such as Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, and criticised certain laws including the Waqf (Amendment) Act. It further recommended that the US government consider linking arms sales and trade relations with India to measurable improvements in religious freedom.
Earlier, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had dismissed similar observations by the commission, stating that the body often produces biased and politically motivated assessments that misrepresent isolated incidents while ignoring the broader realities of India’s diverse society.
