USCIRF officials call for sanctions against RSS ahead of Mohan Bhagwat’s US visit

Officials of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) have called on the American government to consider sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) who are found responsible for alleged violations of religious freedom. They also urged US authorities not to extend high-level diplomatic courtesies to RSS leaders.

USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is associated with the RSS, which he described as an umbrella organisation whose affiliated groups had allegedly been involved in attacks on religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians, media reports stated.

The remarks came ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's planned visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to participate in the‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) in New York on August 29.

USCIRF Commissioner Gene Mills said that RSS leaders, including those associated with the Indian government, should not be accorded high-level meetings or diplomatic honours. Instead, he called for targeted sanctions against individuals found responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief.

The USCIRF shared the remarks of Mahmood and Mills through its official social media account.

Advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights also criticised Bhagwat's proposed visit, arguing that the event should be viewed in the context of allegations concerning violence against religious minorities.

“A celebration of “oneness” cannot conceal the politics of religious supremacy,” the advocacy group said in a post on X.

Earlier, in its annual report released in March, the USCIRF had criticised India over alleged violations of religious freedom and recommended targeted sanctions against certain individuals and entities, including the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The Indian government rejected the USCIRF's assessment, describing its portrayal of India as selective and distorted and accusing the commission of relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives.

Responding to the report in March, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the USCIRF should also address incidents involving attacks and vandalism targeting Hindu temples in the US, as well as concerns over intolerance and intimidation faced by members of the Indian diaspora.