Now Reading: India trashes USCIRF remarks on RSS, calls it biased
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India trashes USCIRF remarks on RSS, calls it biased
India has rejected remarks by US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) officials who called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and opposed a visit by its chief Mohan Bhagwat.…
India has rejected remarks by US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) officials who called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and opposed a visit by its chief Mohan Bhagwat. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described USCIRF as a 'biased organisation' that lacks credibility and said India should keep away from such organisations.
USCIRF Commissioner Gene Mills had said RSS leaders should not be given diplomatic courtesies and that the US government should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members responsible for religious freedom violations. USCIRF chair Asif Mahmood called the RSS an umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have attacked religious minorities. The Economic Times reports that USCIRF had earlier recommended designating India as a 'country of particular concern'.
HinduPACT, a Hindu advocacy organisation, accused USCIRF of running a 'smear campaign' against Bhagwat. HinduPACT founder Ajay Shah said the commission had abandoned its mandate and adopted an anti-Hindu narrative. The Assam Tribune reports that HinduPACT alleged USCIRF showed little interest in anti-Hindu hatred or temple vandalism in the US. USCIRF recommendations are advisory and not binding on the US government.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Economic Times led with the Indian government's rejection of USCIRF remarks, quoting the MEA spokesperson's charge of bias and giving minimal space to the USCIRF position. The Assam Tribune led with HinduPACT's counter-accusation against USCIRF, framing the issue as a smear campaign rather than a religious freedom dispute. The critical framing from USCIRF itself is present but not amplified. A careful reader should note that neither source independently verifies the USCIRF allegations or HinduPACT's claims. The uniform absence of independent fact-checking means this remains a dispute of competing narratives, not established facts. Watch for whether Bhagwat's US visit proceeds and what official US response emerges.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 right-leaning
Sources (2): economictimes.indiatimes.com (pro government), assamtribune.com (right leaning)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
