The Ministry of External Affairs has rejected a call from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom for sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, citing bias and lack of credibility.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed a call from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for sanctions against members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The US panel had suggested that RSS leaders should not be given high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies, a statement made ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s planned visit to the US.
Asif Mahmood, chair of the USCIRF, described the RSS as an umbrella organization 'whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims'. In March, the panel had recommended in its annual report that the US government designate India as a ‘country of particular concern’ over alleged systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. This was the seventh time that the panel had made this recommendation.
In response, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the US panel as a 'biased organization' with no credibility. He also stated that the panel has been making ‘misleading and provocative statements’ about India for years. Jaiswal further explained that the organization being referred to by the US panel, i.e., RSS, is known to everyone as a biased organization and should be avoided because it has its own agenda and lacks credibility.
The MEA spokesperson also mentioned that the USCIRF's recommendation in March included targeted sanctions against individuals and entities, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and India’s Research and Analysis Wing, which is the country’s foreign intelligence agency.
The commission is an independent US government agency that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion and makes policy suggestions to the White House. The suggestions are not binding.
Source:
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