Now Reading: US religious body seeks sanctions on RSS ahead of Bhagwat visit
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US religious body seeks sanctions on RSS ahead of Bhagwat visit
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and asked the American government not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders, ahead of RSS…
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and asked the American government not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders, ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to the US on August 29.
USCIRF chair Asif Mahmood said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a member of the RSS, which he described as an umbrella organisation whose sub-groups have attacked religious minorities. Commissioner Gene Mills said RSS leaders should not be honoured with high-level meetings.
India has rejected the USCIRF's criticism, saying the organisation presents a distorted picture based on questionable sources. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the commission should instead focus on attacks on Hindu temples in the US and growing intolerance towards the Indian diaspora.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The USCIRF has no enforcement power, it is an advisory panel whose recommendations are often ignored or moderated by the State Department. The call for sanctions against the RSS is unprecedented at the organisational level, though the commission has previously targeted Indian agencies in its reports. Mohan Bhagwat's visit on August 29 is a test case: if the US administration denies him a visa or restricts meetings, it will mark a significant bilateral escalation. India expelled two Canadian diplomats in 2023 over a similar Sikh separatist row, setting a precedent for how New Delhi retaliates against foreign interference. The actual outcome hinges on whether the White House endorses or sidesteps the commission's request, which could emerge in the weeks after Bhagwat's planned event.
Source: timesnownews.com
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