U.S. religious freedom panel urges sanctions on RSS members over Mohan Bhagwat visit

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

A U.S. panel on religious freedom has expressed concern over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the U.S. and urged sanctions against members of the organisation, which it described as the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the RSS, is on a U.S. visit and ‌is ⁠scheduled to speak at a Saturday (August 29, 2026) event in ⁠New York City.

“We urge the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom ‌violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat,” ​Asif Mahmood, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in a statement ⁠on Wednesday (August 26).

USCIRF is a bipartisan body of the U.S. government that monitors religious freedom around the world and makes policy recommendations, ‌which are not binding. Washington has not imposed sanctions after recent recommendations.

The External Affairs Ministry dismissed the panel’s assertions, casting USCIRF as biased against India.

Rights groups say the RSS promotes majoritarian ideology fueling intolerance towards minorities.

The RSS disputes being intolerant and says it is a “Hindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement” that wants to take India “to the pinnacle of ​glory,” including by uniting Hindus.

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