USCIRF Recommends Sanctions on RSS and RAW, India Rejects Report as Biased

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2026 report designated India as a "country of particular concern" for alleged religious freedom violations. It recommended targeted sanctions on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), urging the US to link arms sales and trade policies to religious freedom improvements. The Indian government rejected the report as "motivated" and "biased," citing selective criticism and pointing to attacks on Hindu temples in the US. Opposition parties supported the USCIRF's recommendations, calling for a ban on the RSS, while some groups criticized the report as influenced by partisan agendas.