{"id":36548,"date":"2026-08-27T04:06:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T04:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=36548"},"modified":"2026-08-27T04:06:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T04:06:42","slug":"us-religious-freedom-panel-urges-sanctions-against-indias-rss-during-chiefs-us-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=36548","title":{"rendered":"US religious freedom panel urges sanctions against India&#8217;s RSS during chief&#8217;s US visit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76 collapsible-caption-module__license__CPQvV\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersconnect.com\/item\/mamdani-opposes-nyc-event-with-leader-of-indias-hindu-nationalist-group\/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1JDMjBUTUE2QURISg%3D%3D\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/resizer\/v2\/QB5ZTCH2JFLBJIQ5KSNCN5ZXSI.jpg?auth=5c6e0f18bc72a6759e0726e7a37287c1d2c35f7fdd1288c51b6c31cb32ac2829&amp;width=1920&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Mamdani opposes NYC event with leader of India's Hindu nationalist group\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Summary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Panel expresses concern about RSS chief&#8217;s US visit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Panel makes policy recommendations that are not binding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RSS chief scheduled to speak at event in NYC on Saturday<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) &#8211; A U.S. panel on religious freedom has expressed \u200cconcern about a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/india\/mamdani-opposes-nyc-event-with-leader-indias-hindu-nationalist-group-2026-08-26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit to the U.S.<\/a>&nbsp;by the chief of the Hindu nationalist group that is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/india\/indias-hindu-rss-lobbies-groups-abroad-counter-minority-rights-criticism-2026-05-12\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ideological parent<\/a>&nbsp;of India&#8217;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and urged sanctions on the \u200bgroup&#8217;s members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is on a \u200bU.S. visit and is scheduled to speak at a Saturday event \u2060in New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sense of global markets with the Trading Day newsletter.&nbsp;Sign up&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/newsletters\/trading-day\/?location=article-paragraph&amp;redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Fasia-pacific%2Fus-religious-freedom-panel-urges-sanctions-against-indias-rss-during-chiefs-us-2026-08-26%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The RSS, a powerful Hindu group from which Prime \u200bMinister Narendra Modi&#8217;s BJP emerged, said in May it had organized foreign visits \u200bto counter perceptions it is a paramilitary outfit involved in attacks on minorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We urge the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious \u200bfreedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat,&#8221; Asif Mahmood, chair \u200bof the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">USCIRF is \u200ca \u2060bipartisan body of the U.S. government that monitors religious freedom around the world and makes policy recommendations, which are not binding. Washington has not&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscirf.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-03\/USCIRF%202026%20Annual%20Report%20India.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">imposed sanctions, opens new tab<\/a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us-religious-freedom-panel-urges-sanctions-against-indias-external-spy-agency-2025-03-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent recommendations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India&#8217;s foreign ministry has dismissed the panel&#8217;s assertions, casting USCIRF as biased against \u200bIndia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rights groups say the \u200bRSS promotes majoritarian \u2060ideology fueling intolerance towards minorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The RSS disputes being intolerant and says it is a &#8220;Hindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement&#8221; that \u200bwants to take India &#8220;to the pinnacle of glory,&#8221; including by \u200buniting Hindus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.N. \u2060and human rights groups say abuse of Indian minorities has risen in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They point to rising\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/india\/anti-minority-hate-speech-india-rose-by-13-2025-us-research-group-says-2026-01-13\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hate speech<\/a>, a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us-un-express-concern-about-indias-religion-based-citizenship-law-2024-03-12\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">religion-based citizenship law<\/a>, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/india\/indias-top-court-denounces-demolitions-illegal-properties-issues-guidelines-2024-11-13\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">demolition of Muslim-owned properties<\/a>, the removal \u2060of \u200bMuslim-majority Kashmir&#8217;s autonomy, and an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/love-jihad-law-seen-trampling-womens-hard-earned-freedoms-india-2021-01-15\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anti-conversion legislation<\/a>\u00a0that challenges \u200bfreedom of belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India&#8217;s BJP-led government&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/biden-says-will-talk-human-rights-rule-law-with-modi-2023-06-22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">denies being discriminatory<\/a>&nbsp;and says its policies, including food subsidy programs and electrification \u200bdrives, benefit all communities.<video muted=\"\" poster=\"https:\/\/ajo.prod.reuters.tv\/api\/v2\/img\/6a8f1aebe4b0f9a8fa3910a4-1787763467158\" src=\"blob:https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/d9b87086-7e22-4767-b442-714a8e280432\"><\/video><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reference Link:- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/us-religious-freedom-panel-urges-sanctions-against-indias-rss-during-chiefs-us-2026-08-26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/us-religious-freedom-panel-urges-sanctions-against-indias-rss-during-chiefs-us-2026-08-26\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) &#8211; A U.S. panel on religious freedom has expressed \u200cconcern about a&nbsp;visit to the U.S.&nbsp;by the chief of the Hindu nationalist group that is the&nbsp;ideological parent&nbsp;of India&#8217;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and urged sanctions on the \u200bgroup&#8217;s members. Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is on a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[10005,1125,8097,9793,34046,25574,34047,34045,24651,34049,34050,34051],"class_list":["post-36548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sample-category","tag-christians-2","tag-india-2","tag-intolerance-3","tag-minorities-2","tag-modi-doctrine","tag-muslims-3","tag-pure-hindu-extremist-state","tag-religious-freedom-2","tag-rss-3","tag-sikhs-2","tag-untouchables-2","tag-us-religious-freedom-panel","post_format-post-format-aside"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36548"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36549,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36548\/revisions\/36549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}