India Questions USCIRF Credibility Following Sanction Proposals Against RSS And R&AW
· Free Press Journal
The Ministry of External Affairs officially rejected the 2026 annual report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) following the commission's recommendation for targeted sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a firm statement on Monday claiming the commission has continuously presented a distorted and selective view of the nation by prioritising ideological narratives over objective facts.
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Jaiswal said, "We have taken note of the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterization of India. For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts. Such repeated misrepresentations only undermine the credibility of the Commission itself."
Allegations of rights violations
The USCIRF report designated India as a "country of particular concern," asserting that religious freedom conditions have continued to deteriorate. The commission accused the Indian government of targeting religious minorities and houses of worship while calling on Washington to link trade policies and arms sales to human rights benchmarks.
According to the report, "Several states undertook efforts to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws to include harsher prison sentences. Indian authorities also facilitated widespread detention and illegal expulsion of citizens and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against religious minority communities."
Furthermore, the commission criticised specific legislation like the Waqf (Amendment) Act and the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education Act, while blaming groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for communal clashes in Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
Proposed sanctions and diplomatic friction
Beyond the general critique, the USCIRF recommended that the United States government enforce Section 6 of the Arms Export Control Act to halt arms sales to India, citing alleged harassment against religious minorities and US citizens.
In response to these escalating recommendations, the MEA suggested that the commission redirect its focus toward domestic issues within the United States.
"Instead of persisting with selective criticism of India, USCIRF would do well to reflect on the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, which merit serious attention," Jaiswal said.
A pattern of persistent disagreement
The current diplomatic friction follows a consistent pattern of rejection from New Delhi, which has previously denied visas to USCIRF teams and opposed their commentary on the 2019 Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
During similar disputes in 2025, the ministry argued that the commission’s efforts to misrepresent isolated incidents reflected a deliberate agenda rather than genuine concern.
At that time, the ministry emphasised India's pluralistic framework and the coexistence of 1.4 billion people of all faiths, concluding that "Such efforts to undermine India’s standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed. In fact, it is the USCIRF that should be designated as an entity of concern."