New Delhi:
The Centre on Monday responded strongly after a United States federal authorities fee really helpful that India be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” for non secular freedom violations and referred to as for focused sanctions on the exterior intelligence company, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In response to the report, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “We have taken note of the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterisation of India. For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts.”
“Such repeated misrepresentations only undermine the credibility of the Commission itself. Instead of persisting with selective criticism of India, USCIRF would do well to reflect on the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, which merit serious attention,” he added.
The USCIRF made the suggestions in its 2026 Annual Report, which assesses circumstances throughout 2025. The report urges the US authorities to designate India as a CPC for allegedly “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations”.
It proposes focused sanctions on people and entities, together with R&AW and the RSS, “for their responsibility and tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom” by way of measures comparable to freezing belongings and barring entry into the United States.
The fee additionally really helpful linking future US safety help and bilateral commerce insurance policies with India to enhancements in non secular freedom.
It referred to as on the US Congress to reintroduce and move the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024, which might require annual reporting on acts of transnational repression by the Indian authorities focusing on non secular minorities within the United States.
In its evaluation of India, the report claimed that non secular freedom circumstances continued to deteriorate in 2025 as the federal government launched and enforced new laws focusing on non secular minority communities and their homes of worship. Several states undertook efforts to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion legal guidelines, together with harsher jail sentences, the report claimed.
