India has criticised the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) after the US body urged Washington to impose sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Ministry of External Affairs called the USCIRF a “biased organisation” and questioned its credibility.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the commission has repeatedly made remarks against India that New Delhi considers disparaging and inflammatory. He said India does not expect the body to understand the country’s pluralistic social structure or recognise the peaceful coexistence of its diverse communities.

"It is a biased organisation. I would say that we should keep away from such organisations as they have their own agenda and lack any credibility...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," Jaiswal said.

The remarks came after USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood opposed the upcoming visit of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to the United States. Bhagwat is scheduled to visit New York on August 29. Mahmood also urged the US government to impose sanctions on the RSS and deny diplomatic courtesies to its leaders.

The USCIRF described the RSS as an “umbrella organisation” and alleged that groups linked to it have been involved in attacks against religious minorities. The commission called on the US government to take action against RSS members it holds responsible for alleged violations of freedom of religion or belief.

"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.

The latest dispute follows earlier criticism from the USCIRF. In March, its annual report accused India of violating religious freedom and recommended targeted sanctions against individuals and organisations, including the RSS and India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The commission also recommended that the United States designate India as a “country of particular concern”.

The USCIRF is an independent and bipartisan federal agency of the US government. It monitors religious freedom conditions around the world and makes policy recommendations to the US President, the Secretary of State and Congress. It also tracks the implementation of its recommendations.

The commission’s latest comments on Bhagwat’s visit have also drawn criticism from Hindu advocacy groups in the United States. HinduPACT condemned the public opposition from USCIRF members and accused the body of moving away from its stated mandate.

Ajay Shah, Founder and Chair of HinduPACT, criticised the commission’s position on India and the RSS. He argued that its statements reflect what he described as an anti-Hindu narrative rather than the approach expected from a pluralistic American institution.

"When its chair speaks about India and the 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 organisations. He should not be met with slander scripted by CAIR, IAMC, and HfHR, groups that have made a habit of treating Hindu self-assertion as extremism," said Ajay Shah, Founder and Chair of HinduPACT.

The exchange has renewed debate between India and the USCIRF over questions related to religious freedom. New Delhi has repeatedly rejected the commission’s assessments and recommendations about India. The government maintains that such assessments do not reflect the country’s diverse social and religious landscape.

The latest controversy centres on Bhagwat’s planned New York visit and the USCIRF’s demand for action against the RSS. India has rejected the commission’s intervention and questioned its credibility. The USCIRF, meanwhile, continues to push for sanctions against individuals and organisations it says are linked to religious freedom violations.