India on Friday strongly rejected remarks by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) concerning the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, describing the American advisory body as “biased” and lacking credibility. The Ministry of External Affairs said the commission had repeatedly made what New Delhi considers prejudiced assessments of India and suggested that little importance should be attached to its latest intervention.
The response followed calls from USCIRF officials for the US government to consider sanctions against RSS members found responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief. The remarks have come days before RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to visit New York, where he is expected to participate in the “Universal Oneness Celebrations” on August 29.
MEA rejects remarks
Responding to questions at the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was familiar with USCIRF and its previous statements concerning India. He questioned the commission’s credibility and rejected its latest comments.
The sharp response continues a long-running disagreement between India and USCIRF over the commission’s assessments of religious freedom in the country. New Delhi has repeatedly accused the body of presenting a selective picture of India and relying on what it considers questionable sources and ideological narratives.
The government has also maintained that USCIRF does not adequately acknowledge India’s constitutional protections for religious freedom or the country’s pluralistic character. Its position has been that statements from the commission should be viewed in the context of what the MEA considers a consistent pattern of bias.
Sanctions call sparks row
The latest controversy began after USCIRF officials commented on Bhagwat’s forthcoming visit to the United States. Commission chair Asif Mahmood described the RSS as an umbrella organisation whose affiliated groups, he alleged, had been involved in attacks on religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians.
USCIRF Commissioner Gene Mills separately argued that RSS leaders should not receive high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies in the United States. Instead, he called on Washington to consider sanctions against RSS members found responsible for violations of religious freedom.
The commission’s 2026 annual report had already recommended targeted sanctions against individuals and entities it considered responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in India, specifically mentioning the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing. It also recommended that India be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” under US religious freedom legislation.
These are recommendations made by USCIRF, an independent bipartisan US federal commission. The body advises the US President, Secretary of State and Congress on international religious freedom policy, but it does not itself impose sanctions or determine US government policy.
Bhagwat visit approaches
The timing of the remarks has attracted particular attention because Bhagwat is due to travel to New York later this month. He is scheduled to attend the Universal Oneness Celebrations organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue.
The visit comes during the RSS centenary period and is expected to include engagement with members of the Indian diaspora. USCIRF officials have used the impending visit to renew their criticism of the organisation and urge the US administration to avoid extending official courtesies to its leadership.
The RSS has been a recurring subject in USCIRF reports on India. The commission has argued that the organisation and groups associated with it have contributed to an environment in which religious minorities face discrimination and violence. India has consistently disputed the commission’s broader characterisation of religious freedom conditions in the country.
Old dispute resurfaces
The exchange is the latest episode in a dispute that has persisted for several years. In its 2026 report, USCIRF alleged that religious freedom conditions in India had continued to deteriorate and criticised anti-conversion laws, citizenship-related measures and alleged attacks against minority communities.
India has rejected such assessments and previously accused the commission of attempting to interfere in the country’s internal affairs. The MEA has also pointed to incidents involving vandalism of Hindu temples and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States while responding to criticism from USCIRF.
Friday’s response indicates that New Delhi has no intention of engaging substantively with the latest recommendation. By describing USCIRF as an institution that should effectively be ignored, the government sought to deny the commission’s intervention the legitimacy it claims in assessing religious freedom conditions.
The disagreement is unlikely to end with Bhagwat’s visit. USCIRF continues to place India prominently in its annual assessments, while New Delhi has repeatedly dismissed the commission’s findings. The latest row over the RSS has once again brought that fundamental disagreement into the open, this time just days before the organisation’s chief is scheduled to arrive in the United States.