A US government-backed religious freedom panel has urged Washington to consider targeted sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Indian officials it alleges are linked to religious freedom violations. The development comes as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is visiting the United States for a series of engagements.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan federal body that monitors religious freedom globally and makes policy recommendations, also called for the possibility of revoking Bhagwat’s US visa. USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday.
Bhagwat is currently in the US and is scheduled to address the “Universal Oneness Celebration” in New York City on August 29. The event has been organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue and is being presented as an initiative focused on shared heritage, dialogue and interfaith unity.
The USCIRF’s latest remarks have added to an already sensitive debate over the RSS and its activities. The commission has accused the organisation of contributing to an environment of intolerance towards religious minorities in India. The RSS, however, rejects such allegations and describes itself as a cultural organisation working for social and national unity.
The Indian government has strongly objected to the USCIRF’s position. The Ministry of External Affairs has described the commission as biased and lacking credibility, and has rejected its assessments concerning religious freedom in India. New Delhi has also questioned what it sees as the panel’s repeated focus on India’s internal affairs.
The latest controversy comes during the RSS’s centenary year. The organisation has been conducting an international outreach programme aimed at engaging with Indian-origin communities and addressing what it says are misconceptions about the RSS and India. Bhagwat’s current trip includes engagements in the US, Canada and Britain.
The issue has also sparked a political debate in New York. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly opposed the upcoming event featuring Bhagwat, saying he does not support the RSS’s ideology. At the same time, he has acknowledged that the city may not have the legal authority to stop a privately organised event.
Despite the controversy, the New York programme is expected to go ahead. The RSS has defended the event as an opportunity for open dialogue and engagement with a wider audience.
USCIRF recommendations are not binding, meaning the latest call does not automatically result in sanctions or visa cancellation. Any such action would require a decision by the US government. For now, the dispute has added another layer of tension to discussions between India and the United States over religious freedom, human rights and the activities of Indian organisations abroad.
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