India Rejects US Religious Freedom Report
Analysis based on 14 articles · First reported Mar 16, 2026 · Last updated Mar 17, 2026
The event highlights potential strains in the bilateral relationship between India and the United States, which could affect future security assistance and trade policies. The recommendations for sanctions on Indian entities like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and India — Research & Analysis Wing, if implemented, could have direct financial and reputational consequences for these organizations and indirectly for India's economy.
The United States — United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its annual report, criticizing India's religious freedom record and recommending that the United States government impose targeted sanctions on entities such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and India — Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). The USCIRF also called for linking US security assistance and bilateral trade with India to improvements in religious freedom and designating India as a 'Country of Particular Concern'. India, through its Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, categorically rejected the report, calling it 'motivated and biased' and accusing the USCIRF of relying on 'questionable sources and ideological narratives'. India urged the USCIRF to reflect on incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States and growing intolerance against the Indian diaspora. The India — Indian National Congress party also used the report to criticize the ruling India — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
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