India Rejects US Commission Calls for RSS Sanctions

The Ministry of External Affairs of India rejected calls from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to impose sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the commission as a biased organization that lacks credibility and possesses its own agenda.

The dispute follows recommendations from USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood Jah and Commissioner Gene Mills, who argued that the U.S. government should deny diplomatic courtesies to RSS leaders and instead focus on sanctions for freedom of religious belief violations. These calls coincide with a planned visit to the United States by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The commission characterized the RSS as an umbrella organization whose sub-groups have attacked religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians.

This friction follows a March recommendation by the USCIRF to designate India as a country of particular concern due to alleged systematic religious freedom violations. The commission suggested targeted sanctions and asset freezes against both the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing. India has rejected these claims as misleading and provocative, asserting that the reports rely on ideological narratives and questionable sources.