India slams US body for recommending sanctions against RSS
What's the story
India has slammed the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for recommending sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called USCIRF a "biased organization" with a history of making inflammatory remarks about India. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We do not expect that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India's pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities."
Visit controversy
USCIRF opposes Bhagwat's visit to US
The USCIRF had publicly opposed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's upcoming visit to the United States.
Bhagwat is scheduled to travel to New York on August 29.
The commission also urged Washington not to extend diplomatic courtesies to him, describing the RSS as an "umbrella organization" whose sub-groups have "perpetrated attacks on religious minorities."
"Instead, the USG (US Government) should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members found responsible for FoRB (freedom of religious belief) violations," the US body said.
Report criticism
USCIRF's annual report on India
In March, the USCIRF's annual report had criticized India for alleged "violations of religious freedom."
It had also recommended "targeted sanctions" on individuals and entities such as the RSS and Research and Analysis Wing.
The commission had suggested designating India as a "country of particular concern" for engaging in and "tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)."
Advocacy response
HinduPACT slams USCIRF
HinduPACT, a US-based advocacy group, has slammed the USCIRF for its public opposition to Bhagwat's visit.
Ajay Shah, Founder and Chair of HinduPACT, said that when USCIRF chair Asif Mahmood speaks about India and RSS, he "sounds less like the head of a pluralistic American commission and more like an advocate for a hardened anti-Hindu narrative."
"Mohan Bhagwat leads one of the world's most consequential Hindu organizations," he said.