Govt rejects USCIRF report calling for sanctions on RAW, RSS
India’s government has firmly rejected the latest USCIRF annual report, which recommended designating India as a “Country of Particular Concern” and imposing sanctions on RAW and RSS over alleged religious freedom violations. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the report as “motivated and biased,” accusing it of relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than facts.
The 2026 USCIRF report urged the US to sanction entities like India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by freezing assets and barring entry. It also called for linking US aid and trade to religious freedom improvements, halting arms sales, and allowing US assessments in India.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that USCIRF has repeatedly misrepresented India, undermining its own credibility. India highlighted US issues like attacks on Hindu temples and intolerance toward the Indian diaspora as matters needing attention instead. This rejection aligns with India’s past dismissals of similar USCIRF critiques.
