The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that India be designated a “country of particular concern” (CPC) and called for targeted sanctions against key state and non-state actors, citing what it describes as a continued deterioration in religious freedom conditions through 2025.
In its 2026 Annual Report, the bipartisan US government body pointed to new legislation, vigilante violence, and state actions targeting religious minorities as evidence of “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations.
Key findings: Laws, violence and state action under scrutiny
The report highlights a pattern of policies and incidents affecting Muslims, Christians and other minority communities.
It notes that several Indian states strengthened anti-conversion laws with harsher penalties, while authorities allegedly enabled or failed to prevent vigilante violence by Hindu nationalist groups.
USCIRF also documents:
- Attacks on Christians in Odisha and communal violence in Maharashtra linked to mobilisations by groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
- The detention and expulsion of Rohingya refugees and Bengali-speaking Muslims
- The use of laws such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and Foreigners Act to target “illegal migrants”
- Continued imprisonment of activists and minorities under anti-terror and public order laws
The report further flags state intervention in religious institutions, including the controversial Waqf legislation and measures affecting madrasas and minority-run educational bodies.
Sanctions call: RSS and RAW named
In one of its most consequential recommendations, USCIRF has called on the US government to impose targeted sanctions on entities including India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The proposed measures include:
- Asset freezes
- Visa bans for responsible individuals and entities
- Linking US security cooperation and trade ties to improvements in religious freedom
- Halting arms sales under US law
It also recommends allowing independent US assessments inside India and reintroducing legislation to track alleged transnational repression targeting minorities abroad.
Hindus for Human Rights: “A major shift”
Advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights described the sanctions recommendation as a turning point.
In a blog post responding to the report, the group said USCIRF’s call for action against the RSS marks “a major shift” in how US policymakers are framing concerns around religious nationalism and minority rights in India.
The organisation argued that the move reflects growing international scrutiny of ideological networks linked to majoritarian politics.
Political reactions: Congress amplifies criticism
India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, seized on the report, sharing excerpts on social media and accusing the government of damaging India’s global reputation on human rights.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the party highlighted USCIRF’s findings and urged accountability, framing the report as evidence of democratic backsliding.
India rejects report as “biased”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the USCIRF report, reiterating its longstanding position that such assessments are “biased and politically motivated.”
In its official response, the Ministry of External Affairs India rejected the commission’s characterisation of religious freedom in India and criticised what it called external interference in internal matters.
New Delhi has consistently refused to grant USCIRF access for in-country assessments.
Background: Long-running tensions over religious freedom
India, the world’s largest democracy with a Hindu majority population, has been repeatedly recommended for CPC designation by USCIRF in recent years, though successive US administrations have not acted on the recommendation.
The 2026 report underscores growing divergence between US-based religious freedom monitors and India’s government, even as bilateral ties deepen on strategic and economic fronts.
