USCIRF Designates India as Country of Concern, Recommends Sanctions on RSS and R AW

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has designated India as a "country of particular concern" in its 2026 report, citing a deterioration in religious freedom and recommending targeted sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R AW). USCIRF urged linking US arms sales and trade policies to religious freedom conditions. The Indian National Congress supported the sanctions, calling for a ban on the RSS, while groups like the Sufi Islamic Board criticized the report as biased and politically motivated, planning to challenge it at the United Nations. The Indian government has not officially responded to the latest report but has previously rejected USCIRF's findings.