The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday strongly criticised the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom over its latest remarks directed at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. 

The MEA described the commission as biased and lacking credibility, asserting that its repeated incorrect and provocative statements about India should be disregarded.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a media briefing, emphasised that the commission has consistently made misleading claims about India. He stated that such institutions operate with their own agendas and therefore should be ignored. He underlined that the credibility of the commission is questionable and its pronouncements do not merit serious consideration.

The sharp response came after USCIRF officials called for sanctions against the RSS and urged the United States government not to extend high-level diplomatic courtesies or hold meetings with its leaders. These remarks were made in the context of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s upcoming visit to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom beginning on August 25.

Bhagwat’s visit is scheduled at the invitation of local associations and organisations connected with the Indian diaspora. The timing coincides with the centenary year of the RSS, during which Bhagwat is expected to engage with diaspora members and representatives of local organisations.

RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar confirmed the visit in a post on X, noting that Bhagwat’s engagements abroad are part of the ongoing centenary commemorations.

The latest criticism from USCIRF follows its annual report released in March, in which the commission accused India of religious freedom violations and recommended targeted sanctions against individuals and entities, including the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing. India had firmly rejected the report, describing it as distorted and selective, based on questionable sources and ideological narratives.

In a statement issued on March 16, Jaiswal had already condemned the commission’s selective criticism of India. He urged USCIRF to examine incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, as well as intolerance and intimidation faced by members of the Indian diaspora.

He argued that such realities are ignored by the commission, which instead chooses to focus on a skewed narrative against India.

The MEA’s latest remarks underline India’s position that external institutions attempting to interfere in its internal matters or malign its organisations lack legitimacy.

The government maintains that the RSS, as a socio-cultural organisation, continues to play a significant role in India’s national life, and attempts to target it are politically motivated. The timing of the criticism, just ahead of Bhagwat’s overseas engagements, has been viewed in New Delhi as deliberate and provocative.

ANI