U.S. Commission Recommends Sanctions on RSS and RAW

A U.S. government-backed commission has recommended sanctions against India’s Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing, according to its latest report.

The recommendations were made in the 2026 report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which also suggested imposing visa restrictions on individuals associated with these entities and freezing their assets in the United States.

The report placed India on the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC), citing what it described as deteriorating religious freedom and increasing attacks on minority communities.

Following the report’s release, India’s Ministry of External Affairs strongly rejected its findings, calling the document “one-sided.” The ministry also pointed to incidents of attacks on Indians in the United States, dismissing the report’s conclusions.

Key Findings of the Report

The USCIRF report highlighted several areas of concern:

Discriminatory Laws:
The report criticized laws such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, arguing that they disproportionately target minority communities. It also raised concerns over anti-conversion laws and cow protection legislation enacted in various Indian states.

Mob Violence:
Citing recent incidents, the report noted a rise in mob attacks against minorities, often linked to allegations of religious conversion or cow smuggling. It described these developments as a matter of concern for the United States.

Restrictions on Religious Institutions:
The report criticized policies such as India’s Waqf regulations, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and laws governing foreign funding for NGOs. It argued that these measures undermine the ability of minority religious institutions to function independently.

The report also expressed concern over demolitions of homes and places of worship belonging to minority communities.

Recommendations

The commission issued five recommendations to the U.S. government and one to Congress regarding relations with India. These include:

• Imposing sanctions on RSS and RAW

• Denying U.S. entry to individuals linked to these organizations

• Freezing their assets within the United States

• Using bilateral relations to encourage improvements in religious freedom in India

• Suspending arms sales to India under provisions of the Arms Export Control Act

India’s Response

In a statement issued on March 16, India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the report as “biased” and rejected its allegations. The government maintained that the assessment does not accurately reflect the situation in the country.