'Distorted picture of India': MEA slams US report recommending sanctions on RSS, R&AW

NEW DELHI: The ministry of outer affairs connected Monday rejected the yearly study of the United States Commission connected International Religious Freedom for 2026, which recommended targeted sanctions connected the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Research and Analysis Wing for violations of spiritual freedom.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, successful a statement, said that the committee has persisted successful presenting a distorted, selective representation of India by relying connected questionable sources and ideological narratives alternatively than nonsubjective facts.

"We person taken enactment of the latest study of the US Commission connected International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We categorically cull its motivated and biased characterization of India.

For respective years now, USCIRF has persisted successful presenting a distorted and selective representation of India, relying connected questionable sources and ideological narratives alternatively than nonsubjective facts. Such repeated misrepresentations lone undermine the credibility of the Commission itself," Jaiswal said."Instead of persisting with selective disapproval of India, USCIRF would bash good to bespeak connected the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks connected Hindu temples successful the United States, selective targeting of India, and increasing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora successful the United States, which merit superior attention," helium added.

This comes aft USCIRF designated India arsenic a “country of peculiar concern” and asked United States to nexus arms income and commercialized policies to spiritual freedom.USCIRF said its report, Systematic Religious Persecution successful India, provides an overview of India's social, political, and transgression justness systems arsenic they subordinate to issues regarding state of religion oregon content (FoRB)."It besides examines the narration betwixt Hindu nationalist groups similar the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the implications of this dynamic for FoRB. Despite offering immoderate law protections for FoRB, India's governmental strategy facilitates a clime of favoritism toward spiritual number communities," the study alleged.USCIRF besides argued that conditions for spiritual state successful India person “continued to deteriorate” and accused the Indian authorities of “targeting” spiritual minorities and houses of worship.“Several states undertook efforts to present oregon fortify anti-conversion laws to see harsher situation sentences. Indian authorities besides facilitated wide detention and amerciable expulsion of citizens and spiritual refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against spiritual number communities,” the study said.Created successful 1998 by an enactment of the United States Congress, the USCIRF “monitors the cosmopolitan close to state of religion oregon content (FoRB) abroad” and makes recommendations to the President of the United States, the United States Department of State, and Congress.The bureau says it acts independently, but the US President and elder governmental leaders successful the House of Representatives and the Senate name its 9 commissioners.In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF had recommended that the US Department of State designate India arsenic a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) "for engaging successful systematic, ongoing, and egregious spiritual state violations".Jaiswal noted successful March this twelvemonth that India is location to 1.4 cardinal radical who are adherents of each religions known to mankind.He had said that USCIRF should beryllium designated arsenic an entity of concern."We person nary anticipation that the USCIRF volition prosecute with the world of India's pluralistic model oregon admit the harmonious coexistence of its divers communities. Such efforts to undermine India's lasting arsenic a beacon of ideology and tolerance volition not succeed. In fact, it is the USCIRF that should beryllium designated arsenic an entity of concern," helium said.MEA had earlier termed USCIRF "a biased organisation with a governmental agenda" and said it continues to misrepresent facts and peddle a motivated communicative astir India.