The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has suggested imposing specific sanctions on India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as reported by Reuters.

This recommendation follows allegations that RAW was involved in assassination plots against Sikh separatists. The panel’s yearly report also pointed out worsening conditions for religious minorities in India. The USCIRF has asked the US government to label India as a "country of particular concern" because of issues related to religious freedom. The report also suggested the same designation for Vietnam, pointing out the government's growing control over religious activities in the communist-led country.

According to the research, "Washington has overlooked the human rights issue in India as it has seen India as a counter to address China's rising influence in Asia and elsewhere." However, because the panel's recommendations are not legally enforceable, it is unlikely that the US government will sanction RAW. "In 2024, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as attacks and discrimination against religious minorities continued to rise," the commission's report said.

Additionally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been accused of "propagating hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities." India rejected the US's 2023 report on religious freedom in June 2024, claiming it was "deeply biased." The Indian government said that cases were "handpicked to form a pre-conceived narrative" and questioned the validity of various rulings issued by the Indian judiciary, claiming that the study lacks an understanding of the country's social fabric.  

Since 2023, tensions have grown between India and the US over allegations that India was involved in targeting Sikh separatists in the US and Canada. The situation worsened when the US accused a former Indian intelligence officer of being linked to a failed plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. In India, Sikh separatists are considered security threats, but the Indian government has denied any role in such actions. India's relationship with Canada became tense after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that the Indian government was linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in British Columbia.