New Delhi: India has strongly rejected the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) after it urged the United States government to impose sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and deny diplomatic courtesies to its leaders.
Responding to the recommendations, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described USCIRF as a biased organisation that has repeatedly made disparaging and inflammatory remarks about India. He said the commission lacks credibility and follows its own agenda rather than engaging with the reality of India’s pluralistic society and the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities.
The controversy comes ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to New York on August 29. USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood opposed the visit and called on Washington to impose targeted sanctions on RSS members allegedly responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief. The commission also alleged that organisations linked to the RSS had been involved in attacks on religious minorities.
Earlier this year, USCIRF’s annual report recommended that India be designated a “Country of Particular Concern”, while also advocating targeted sanctions against individuals and entities, including the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), over alleged religious freedom violations.
USCIRF is an independent bipartisan federal commission that advises the US President, Secretary of State and Congress on issues related to international religious freedom.
Meanwhile, US based Hindu advocacy organisation HinduPACT criticised USCIRF’s stance, saying the commission had exceeded its mandate. The group defended Bhagwat’s visit and argued that portraying Hindu organisations through what it described as an anti Hindu narrative undermines genuine pluralistic dialogue.
The exchange has further intensified diplomatic friction over international assessments of religious freedom in India.
