The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the American government to impose sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and avoid high-level diplomatic engagements with its leaders, sparking debate on religious freedom and India-US relations.
Key Points
- USCIRF officials advocate for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
- The advisory body recommends against diplomatic courtesies for RSS leaders, including during Mohan Bhagwat's upcoming US visit.
- USCIRF cites allegations of RSS sub-groups perpetrating attacks on religious minorities.
- India has strongly rejected USCIRF's reports, labelling them "distorted and selective."
- The External Affairs Ministry highlighted "disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the US" in response to USCIRF's criticism.
Officials of a US advisory body on religious freedom have called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and asked the American government not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders or have high-level meetings with them.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) chair Asif Mahmood said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a member of the RSS, which he described as an umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities.
USCIRF's Recommendations Against RSS
Mahmood's remarks came weeks ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to the US 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 RSS leaders, even when affiliated with the Indian government, should not be honoured with high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies.
"Instead, the USG (US Government) should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members found responsible for FoRB (freedom of religious belief) violations," Mills said.
USCIRF posted the remarks by Mahmood and Mills on its X account.
"India's PM Modi is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an Indian umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities, incl. Christians & Muslims. Now the RSS leader, Mohan Bhagwat, plans to visit the US," Mahmood said.
India's Rejection Of USCIRF Findings
Advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights said Bhagwat's visit cannot be separated from the RSS network's violence against Muslims and Christians.
"A celebration of "oneness" cannot conceal the politics of religious supremacy," the advocacy group said in a post on X.
In March, the USCIRF annual report criticised India for alleged violations of religious freedom and backed "targeted sanctions" on individuals and entities such as the RSS and Research and Analysis Wing, holding them responsible for the matter.
India rejected the USCIRF report, saying that the organisation has persistently presented a "distorted and selective" picture of the country that relies on "questionable sources and ideological narratives".
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement on March 16, said that instead of persisting with "selective criticism" of India, the USCIRF should reflect on "disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the US, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the US, which merit serious attention".
