Officials of a US advisory body on religious freedom have called for sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and urged the American government not to extend diplomatic courtesies or hold high-level meetings with its leaders.
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. The remarks sharpen the USCIRF's criticism of the organisation and come shortly before RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to visit the US.
Bhagwat's US visit in focus
Bhagwat is set to visit the US to participate in the Universal Oneness Celebrations, organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) in New York on Aug 29.
USCIRF Commissioner Gene Mills said RSS leaders, including those affiliated with the Indian government, should not be honoured with high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies. Instead, he called on the US Government to impose sanctions on RSS members found responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief.
"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 targets RSS over minority rights
The 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.
The comments indicate that Bhagwat's forthcoming visit is likely to face scrutiny from groups critical of the RSS and its record on religious minorities.
Advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights also said Bhagwat's visit could not be separated from what it described as 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.
Earlier report sought 'targeted sanctions'
The latest remarks follow the USCIRF's annual report in March, which criticised India over alleged violations of religious freedom and backed "targeted sanctions" against individuals and entities such as the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing, holding them responsible for the alleged violations.
The commission also recommended that India be designated a "country of particular concern", or CPC, for engaging in and "tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)".
The recommendation represented a serious criticism of India's religious freedom record by the US advisory body, but New Delhi firmly rejected the assessment and questioned the USCIRF's approach and sources.
India rejects USCIRF criticism
India rejected the USCIRF report, saying the organisation had persistently presented a "distorted and selective" picture of the country based on "questionable sources and ideological narratives".
External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement in March that the USCIRF should itself be designated an "entity of concern". He said its "persistent" attempts to cast aspersions on India's vibrant multicultural society reflected a "deliberate" agenda rather than genuine concern for religious freedom.
"We have no expectation that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India's pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities," Jaiswal said, PTI reports.
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New Delhi points to attacks on Hindus in US
In another statement earlier in March, Jaiswal urged the USCIRF to look at religious freedom concerns within the US rather than persist with what he called "selective criticism" of India.
He cited "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".
The competing assertions underline the continuing disagreement between the USCIRF and New Delhi over how India's record on religious freedom is assessed. While the commission has repeatedly raised concerns and recommended action, India has rejected its conclusions as selective and ideologically driven.
The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government agency that monitors religious freedom. It makes policy recommendations to the US President, Secretary of State and Congress and tracks the implementation of its recommendations.
