US religious freedom panel calls for sanctions on RSS members as organization’s chief visits New York

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (APP):The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged Washington to place targeted sanctions on members of India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as its leader Mohan Bhagwat visits New York.

USCIRF Chairman Dr Asif Mahmood, a Pakistani-American physician, noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a member of the RSS, describing it as an Indian umbrella organization whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities, including Christians, Muslims and Sikhs, according to media reports.

Dr. Mahmood called on the US government to consider revoking the visa issued to Bhagwat and making him ineligible for future entry into the United States.

“Religious freedom conditions in India continue to deteriorate as violence and incitement are frequently used to target religious minority communities,” Dr. Mahmood said, urging the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations.

The USCIRF statement comes as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has separately voiced opposition to Bhagwat’s planned appearance in the city. Mamdani said Tuesday that he did not support the rally the RSS chief is addressing, while acknowledging that he was unsure whether the city had jurisdiction to cancel a privately organized event.

Mamdani described the rise of the RSS movement as “incredibly troubling” and said he was opposed to what he characterized as its “exclusionary vision.”

Indian American Muslim Council has lo condemned Mohan Bhagwat’s policies,  and is staging a protest against RSS chief’s visit to the United States.

Bhagwat is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora on August 29 at Madison Square Garden at an event promoted as the “Universal Oneness Celebration,” organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue. The event has drawn opposition from organizations and activists who have raised concerns about the RSS’s record and Bhagwat’s leadership.

USCIRF’s concerns, however, extend beyond Bhagwat’s New York appearance. The commission has accused members of RSS subgroups of involvement in violent attacks against religious minorities and said Indian authorities have failed to adequately prevent, investigate or punish such violence.

USCIRF also raised concerns over India’s anti-conversion laws, saying they have been used to target Christians and other religious minorities. It cited the expulsion of Muslim citizens in Assam under the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), as well as what it described as shrinking space for civil society.

The commission further warned that proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) could threaten the ability of faith-based organizations to continue operating in India.

USCIRF Vice Chairman Cece Heil said the United States had an opportunity to hold India accountable and demonstrate that Washington stands for religious freedom in India.

“Without this accountability, religious freedom will only deteriorate further,” Heil said, pointing to attacks by vigilante groups against religious minorities and houses of worship.

In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for what it described as systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. The commission also examined India’s religious freedom conditions during a May 2026 hearing titled “Deteriorating Religious Freedom Conditions in India.”

The Indian government has rejected USCIRF’s assessments, maintaining that the commission presents a distorted and selective picture of the country.

The RSS, meanwhile, has defended Bhagwat’s New York appearance and described the event as inclusive and open to all, rejecting accusations that the organization promotes intolerance toward religious minorities.

Meanwhile, a prominent Indian-American interfaith leader Dr. Mike Ghouse has appealed to Indian Americans to stand up against the hateful RSS ideology.