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US panel urges sanctions on RSS members over Bhagwat visit
A U.S. government-appointed panel has urged sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and called for revoking the visa of its chief, Mohan Bhagwat, who is visiting the U.S. to address…
A U.S. government-appointed panel has urged sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and called for revoking the visa of its chief, Mohan Bhagwat, who is visiting the U.S. to address an event in New York City on Saturday (29 August 2026).
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan body, said in a statement on Wednesday that Bhagwat's RSS is the ideological parent of the ruling BJP. USCIRF chair Asif Mahmood urged targeted sanctions and visa revocation over alleged religious freedom violations. The panel's recommendations are not binding, and Washington has not acted on recent similar calls.
India's External Affairs Ministry dismissed the assertions, calling USCIRF biased. The RSS says it is a civilisational, cultural movement that seeks to unite Hindus, and it denies being intolerant. Rights groups accuse it of promoting majoritarian ideology.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The USCIRF recommendation carries no binding force, the U.S. government has previously ignored similar calls for sanctions against Indian figures. The RSS, founded in 1925, has never been designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the U.S., though it has long been under scrutiny. Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, visa revocation requires a specific determination of inadmissibility, which the State Department has not made in this case. Bhagwat is scheduled to speak on Saturday (29 August 2026), the immediate next step is whether Washington either restricts his movements or issues any formal response to USCIRF's letter.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
