New Delhi- The U.S. religious freedom commission has urged the Trump administration to impose targeted sanctions on India's Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including asset freezes and entry bans, while designating India as a "Country of Particular Concern" for severe violations of religious freedom.
The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.
In its freshly released 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF has made a series of strong recommendations to the U.S. government regarding religious freedom conditions in India. The report highlights what it describes as deteriorating conditions, including new legislation targeting religious minorities, attacks on houses of worship, mob violence, and discrimination.
“The month of January alone has witnessed a spate of horrible attacks against Christians,” said Chair Vicky Hartzler. “We are particularly concerned by the report of a Hindu mob beating Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik in Odisha as he was conducting Sunday prayers inside a house. The mob accused him of conducting forced conversions, dragged him outside and forced him to eat cow dung. Such attacks further justify USCIRF’s call for the U.S. Department of State to designate India a CPC.”
A key excerpt from USCIRF's recommendations to the U.S. government states: "Impose targeted sanctions on individuals and entities, such as India’s Research and Analysis Wing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for their responsibility and tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States."
The commission also called for designating India as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) due to "systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations."
Other suggestions include pressing India to permit on-the-ground assessments by U.S. entities like USCIRF and the State Department, linking future U.S. security assistance and trade policies to improvements in religious freedom, and enforcing restrictions on arms sales under Section 6 of the Arms Export Control Act amid alleged intimidation of U.S. citizens and minorities.
Additionally, USCIRF urged Congress to reintroduce and pass the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024 to mandate annual reporting on acts of transnational repression by the Indian government targeting religious minorities in the United States.
The recommendations mark the seventh consecutive year USCIRF has pushed for India to be designated a CPC, though past U.S. administrations have not adopted the label.
In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.
In November 2025, USCIRF released an issue update on systematic religious persecution in India. In January, USCIRF held a hearing on violations of freedom of religion or belief faced by Christians.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate amplified the USCIRF findings on social media, sharing details of the report and declaring: "RSS SHOULD BE BANNED." She emphasized the commission's call for an immediate ban on the RSS, freezing of its assets, and barring entry of RSS-affiliated individuals into the U.S., citing the group's alleged role in tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. Shrinate referenced historical context, noting that the RSS was banned by Sardar Patel after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, arguing it "fuels bigotry and fans communal tension and brings global shame to India."
The USCIRF report and Shrinate's post have sparked renewed debate on international scrutiny of religious freedom in India, with reactions ranging from support among minority advocacy groups to criticism from others viewing the recommendations as interference in India's internal affairs. The Trump administration has not yet responded publicly to the latest USCIRF suggestions.
India is the world’s most populous democracy, with an estimated population of 1.4 billion. The majority of the population is Hindu (78.9 percent), with minority Muslim (14.2 percent), Christian (2.3 percent), and Sikh (1.7 percent) communities. Smaller numbers of Parsis, Buddhists, Baha’is, and Jews also reside in India. Article 25 of India’s constitution guarantees freedom of conscience for all citizens, including the right to practice and profess their religion. Since 2014, however, the ruling BJP has implemented strict legislation and policies targeting religious minority communities.
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