The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said that the US body has been making “disparaging and inflammatory remarks” about India.
India has criticised the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for urging sanctions against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling it a “biased organisation”.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said that the US body has been making “disparaging and inflammatory remarks” about India.
“It is a biased organisation. I would say that we should keep away from such organisations as they have their own agenda and lack any credibility…We do not expect that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India’s pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities,” Jaiswal said.
USCIRF chair Asif Mahmood – a Pakistan-born American citizen who has maintained close ties with his homeland’s political and diplomatic leadership – had opposed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s upcoming visit to the US and called upon the US government to impose sanctions on the RSS. Bhagwat is scheduled to visit New York on August 29.
The US body also asked Washington not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders, and described RSS as an “umbrella organisation” whose sub-groups have “perpetrated attacks on religious minorities”.
“Instead, the USG (US Government) should focus on imposing sanctions on RSS members found responsible for FoRB (freedom of religious belief) violations,” the US body said.
Earlier in March, the USCIRF annual report criticised India for alleged “violations of religious freedom” and backed “targeted sanctions” on individuals and entities such as the RSS and Research and Analysis Wing, holding them responsible for the matter. In its recommendation, the USCIRF also called for designating India as a “country of particular concern”.
The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government agency. It makes policy recommendations to the US President, the Secretary of State, and Congress, and tracks their implementation.
