In a highly worded rebuttal, India asserted that the US religious freedom body, USCIRF, should itself be designated as an “entity of concern” due to its reiterated “pattern of biased and politically motivated assessments” and “misrepresentation” of facts.

New Delhi's remark came just hours following the USCIRF’s annual religious freedom report, which argued that “minorities in India” continue to face worsening conditions. The report also urged sanctions on India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW, over its alleged role in “assassination” plots targeting 'Khalistani' separatists and extremists overseas.

"We have seen the recently released 2025 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which once again continues its pattern of issuing biased and politically motivated assessments," India's Ministry of External Affairs questioned the credibility of the organisation, expressing concerns over its "agenda-based" claims.

India indirectly dismissed the panel's report as misleading and questioned the credibility of the USCIRF, doubting its sincerity in addressing religious freedom. "The USCIRF's persistent attempts to misrepresent isolated incidents and cast aspersions on India's vibrant multicultural society reflect a deliberate agenda rather than a genuine concern for religious freedom," stated the foreign ministry.

New Delhi criticised the US religious freedom body, saying it's disconnected from reality. They've lost hope that the panel will acknowledge the truth. The foreign ministry emphasised, "India is home to 1.4 billion people who are adherents to all religions known to mankind. However, we have no expectation that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India's pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities." Calling the USCIRF or US religious freedom body "an entity of concern," India asserted, "Such efforts to undermine India's standing as a beacon of democracy and tolerance will not succeed. In fact, it is the USCIRF that should be designated as an entity of concern."

Although the US panel has recommended sanctions, it is unlikely that the US government will take action against India's external intelligence agency, R&AW, over its alleged role in targeting extremists and terrorists abroad. This is because the panel's recommendations are not binding on the government.

In its latest report, the U.S. panel has advised that India be classified as a “country of particular concern” due to alleged violations of religious freedom. It has called for “targeted sanctions” against R&AW. The report also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of “propagating hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities.”