US Religious Freedom Panel Targets RSS Ahead of Mohan Bhagwat’s America Tour
What Happened
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged Washington to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members accused of religious-freedom violations and to avoid extending diplomatic courtesies or high-level meetings to RSS leaders. The call comes ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the US, where he is scheduled to attend the “Universal Oneness Celebrations” in New York on August 29.
Key Takeaways
The development highlights ongoing tensions between USCIRF and India over religious-freedom issues. While USCIRF renewed its criticism of the RSS and reiterated earlier sanctions recommendations, its recommendations are advisory and do not automatically become US government policy. India has previously rejected USCIRF's assessments as biased and based on selective sources.