US religious freedom panel urges sanctions on India's RSS chief during US visit

A US government panel monitoring religious freedom has called for targeted sanctions against the chief of India's Hindu nationalist group, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and complicit Indian officials. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged the US government to consider revoking the visa issued to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who is currently visiting the US and scheduled to speak at an event in New York.

The RSS, the ideological parent of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), organized foreign visits to counter perceptions that it is a paramilitary outfit involved in attacks on minorities. The group claims to be a "Hindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement" aiming to unite Hindus and elevate India's glory.

However, rights groups assert that the RSS promotes majoritarian ideology, fueling intolerance towards religious minorities. They point to increased hate speech, discriminatory citizenship laws, demolition of Muslim properties, and anti-conversion legislation as evidence of rising abuse against Indian minorities in recent years.

India's foreign ministry has rejected the USCIRF's claims, labeling the panel as biased against India. The US commission's recommendations are not binding, and Washington has not always imposed sanctions following previous recommendations. The Indian government maintains that its policies benefit all communities and denies being discriminatory.

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We urge the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat.