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US religious freedom panel urges sanctions against India's RSS chief

Created at 26 Aug · 9:54 PM1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT

A U.S. panel on religious freedom has urged the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against members of India's RSS group and complicit officials, including revoking the visa of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during his U.S. visit.

Who's Involved

Asif Mahmood
chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Mohan Bhagwat
chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
U.S. government body monitoring religious freedom globally
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
India's ruling party, ideologically linked to RSS
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
Hindu nationalist group and ideological parent of BJP

↳ Why This Matters

The call for sanctions by a U.S. government panel highlights ongoing international scrutiny of India's religious freedom record and could impact diplomatic relations and U.S.-India policy.

Key facts

  • A U.S. panel on religious freedom urged sanctions against members of India's RSS group.
  • The panel also called for revoking the visa of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
  • Mohan Bhagwat is currently visiting the U.S. and scheduled to speak at an event in New York City.
  • The RSS is the ideological parent of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
  • India's foreign ministry dismissed the panel's assertions as biased.

A U.S. panel on international religious freedom has called for sanctions against members of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and complicit Indian officials, including the revocation of the U.S. visa for RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Bhagwat is currently on a visit to the U.S. and scheduled to speak at an event in New York City.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan body that monitors global religious freedom and makes policy recommendations, stated its concerns on Wednesday. The commission urged the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions and visa revocation for Bhagwat, who is the chief of the RSS, the ideological parent of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rights groups accuse the RSS of promoting majoritarian ideology that fuels intolerance towards minorities, citing increased hate speech, religion-based citizenship laws, demolition of Muslim properties, and anti-conversion legislation in India. The RSS, however, describes itself as a "Hindu centric civilisational, cultural movement" aiming to unite Hindus and elevate India.

India's foreign ministry has dismissed the USCIRF's assertions, characterizing the panel as biased against India. The U.S. panel's recommendations are not binding, and Washington has not previously imposed sanctions following its recommendations.

Frequently asked questions

Mohan Bhagwat is the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a prominent Hindu nationalist organization in India and the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

USCIRF is a bipartisan U.S. government body that monitors religious freedom worldwide and makes policy recommendations to the U.S. government.

The USCIRF urged the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat.

India's foreign ministry has dismissed the panel's assertions, stating that the USCIRF is biased against India.

What Happens Next

01The U.S. government will consider the recommendations made by the USCIRF.
02Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to speak at an event in New York City.

How It Developed

A U.S. panel on religious freedom expressed concern over the visit of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The panel urged the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials.
The panel also called for revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat.
India's foreign ministry dismissed the panel's assertions, calling it biased against India.

Sources

T1
US religious freedom panel urges sanctions against India's RSS during chief's US visitReuters

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