India rejects US religious freedom report recommending sanctions on R&AW and RSS
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India on Monday rejected a report by a US government body that recommended sanctions against India’s external intelligence agency and RSS, calling the assessment biased and selective.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its 2026 annual report, urged the United States government to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom.
The commission also proposed targeted sanctions against the Research and Analysis Wing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, including possible asset freezes and restrictions on entry into the United States for individuals and entities linked to them.
Responding to the report, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said the government had taken note of the findings but strongly rejected the conclusions.
“We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterisation of India,” Jaiswal said. He added that the commission had for years presented what he described as a distorted and selective picture of India by relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts.
Jaiswal said such repeated assessments undermine the credibility of the commission. He also urged the body to examine incidents in the United States, including attacks on Hindu temples and what he described as growing intolerance and intimidation against members of the Indian diaspora.
The report assessed religious freedom conditions during 2025 and recommended that Washington link future security assistance and bilateral trade policies with India to improvements in religious freedom.
It also called on the US Congress to reintroduce and pass the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024, which would require annual reporting on alleged acts of transnational repression by the Indian government targeting religious minorities in the United States.
According to the commission, religious freedom conditions in India deteriorated during 2025, citing new legislation and the enforcement of policies affecting minority communities and places of worship. It also said several Indian states moved to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws, including provisions for harsher prison sentences.
