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The comments by officials of the USCIRF came ahead of Bhagwat’s planned visit to New York on August 29 for the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat addressing the Gen Z in Mumbai. (PTI)
Officials of a US advisory body on religious freedom have called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and urged Washington not to extend diplomatic courtesies or hold high-level meetings with its leaders.
The comments by officials of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) came ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s planned visit to New York on August 29 for the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’, organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD).
USCIRF Calls For Sanctions
In a post on X, the USCIRF shared remarks by Commissioner Gene Mills, who said USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a member of the RSS, an umbrella organisation whose affiliated groups have been accused of attacks against religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims.
“India’s PM Modi is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an Indian umbrella organization whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities, incl. Christians & Muslims. Now the RSS leader, Mohan Bhagwat, plans to visit the US,” the post read.
Cmmr @Gene_Mills: “RSS leaders, even when affiliated with the Indian gov’t, should not be honored with high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies. Instead, the USG should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members found responsible for FoRB violations.” https://t.co/q5XuXTKsgF— USCIRF (@USCIRF) August 19, 2026
In his remarks, Mills also said that RSS leaders should not receive high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies, even when they are affiliated with the Indian government.
“RSS leaders, even when affiliated with the Indian govt, should not be honored with high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies. Instead, the USG should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members found responsible for FoRB violations,” Mills said.
The advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights also criticised Bhagwat’s visit, saying it could not be separated from allegations of violence against Muslims and Christians linked to the RSS network.
“A celebration of “oneness” cannot conceal the politics of religious supremacy,” the advocacy group said in a post on X.
India Rejects USCIRF Criticism
The latest comments follow USCIRF’s annual report released in March, in which the commission criticised India over alleged religious freedom violations and backed “targeted sanctions” against individuals and entities, including the RSS and Research and Analysis Wing.
India rejected the report, accusing USCIRF of presenting a “distorted and selective” picture of the country based on “questionable sources and ideological narratives”.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement on March 16, said that instead of persisting with “selective criticism” of India, the USCIRF should reflect on “disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the US, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the US, which merit serious attention”.
(With inputs from PTI)
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18If the US were to impose sanctions on RSS leaders, these could include freezing their assets and barring their entry into the United States. Additionally, officials from a US advisory body on religious freedom have suggested that RSS leaders should not be granted high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies by the US government.
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