US Advisory Panel Calls for Sanctions Against RSS Over Religious Issues

Washington: Members of a US advisory body focused on religious freedom have urged the American government to impose sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and refrain from extending diplomatic courtesies to its leaders. Asif Mahmood, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), remarked that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is affiliated with the RSS, which he described as an umbrella organisation where some associated groups have committed acts of violence against religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims.

Mahmood’s comments come just weeks before Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the RSS, is scheduled to visit the United States to join the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) in New York on August 29. Alongside these statements, Gene Mills, another USCIRF commissioner, added that even RSS leaders connected to the Indian government should not be granted the honour of high-level meetings or other diplomatic engagements.

“Instead, the US Government should focus on imposing sanctions against RSS members responsible for violations of freedom of religious belief,” Mills stated. The USCIRF shared these comments via its account on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting the issues at play.

In a post, USCIRF noted, “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, including Christians and Muslims. Now the RSS leader, Mohan Bhagwat, plans to visit the US.”

The advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights has expressed that Bhagwat's impending visit is inextricably linked to the violence committed by groups within the RSS network against Muslims and Christians. In a statement on X, they asserted, “A celebration of 'oneness' cannot conceal the politics of religious supremacy.”

In March, the USCIRF's annual report issued strong criticisms against India regarding its treatment of religious freedom, suggesting the need for targeted sanctions against individuals and organisations like the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing, which were implicated in these issues.

In response, India dismissed the USCIRF's report, arguing that it consistently presents a “distorted and selective” view of the country and relies on “questionable sources and ideological narratives.”

Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs in India, stated on March 16 that instead of focusing on what he termed “selective criticism” of India, the USCIRF should consider “disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the US, selective targeting of India, and the growing intolerance and intimidation towards members of the Indian diaspora in the US.”