6 days ago
US Panel Urges Visa Revocation, Sanctions During Bhagwat Visit
Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the RSS, is visiting the United States.
He is expected to speak to a large audience in New York at an event described as interfaith.
A US government commission that studies religious freedom is worried about his visit.
The commission says groups connected to the RSS have harmed or discriminated against religious minorities.
It wants the US government to cancel Bhagwat’s visa and consider sanctions.
India’s government says the commission is biased and does not understand India’s diverse society.
The RSS says it is a cultural movement and rejects claims that it promotes intolerance.
Some groups plan to protest, while event supporters have been advised to avoid confrontations and report safety concerns.
USCIRF urged the Trump administration to revoke RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s US visa and bar his future entry.
The commission called for targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials it considers complicit in religious-freedom violations.
Bhagwat is scheduled to address the Universal Oneness Celebrations at Madison Square Garden in New York on August 29.
USCIRF and rights groups alleged violence, discrimination, hate speech and other restrictions affecting religious minorities in India.
India rejected the allegations as biased, while the RSS denied intolerance and described itself as a Hindu-centric cultural movement.
- Who
- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS, India’s Ministry of External Affairs, rights groups and event supporters.
- What
- USCIRF urged visa revocation and targeted sanctions connected to alleged religious-freedom violations during Bhagwat’s US visit.
- Where
- The dispute concerns Bhagwat’s US visit and his scheduled appearance at the Infosys Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York.
- When
- The commission issued its latest appeal on Wednesday; Bhagwat arrived Tuesday and is scheduled to speak on August 29.
- Why
- USCIRF and rights groups cited alleged attacks, discrimination, hate speech and policies affecting religious minorities, while India rejected those claims.
USCIRF and Critics
India and the RSS
Religious-freedom conditions
USCIRF and Critics
USCIRF and rights groups say RSS-linked groups and policies associated with Hindutva ideology have contributed to violence, intolerance and discrimination against minorities.
India and the RSS
India’s BJP-led government denies discrimination and says its policies benefit all communities; the RSS rejects claims that it is intolerant.
Visa and sanctions
USCIRF and Critics
USCIRF wants targeted sanctions against relevant RSS members and officials, including revoking Bhagwat’s visa and restricting his future entry.
India and the RSS
India has dismissed USCIRF’s claims as biased and lacking credibility, and the articles do not report support for sanctions from India or the RSS.
Bhagwat’s public role
USCIRF and Critics
Hindus for Human Rights described Bhagwat as the leader of an extremist Hindu nationalist movement that has fueled violence, exclusion and fear among minorities.
India and the RSS
The RSS describes itself as a Hindu-centric civilizational and cultural movement that seeks to unite Hindus and advance India.
New York event
USCIRF and Critics
Opposing groups planned protests outside Madison Square Garden and warned about the RSS’s impact on minorities.
India and the RSS
The event organizers billed the program as a diverse, multicultural and multi-faith gathering focused on peace, oneness, harmony and interfaith dialogue.
Key facts
- USCIRF request
- The commission urged the US government to revoke Bhagwat’s visa and make him ineligible for future entry.
- Sanctions request
- USCIRF called for targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials it considers complicit in religious-freedom violations.
- Scheduled event
- Bhagwat is scheduled to address the Universal Oneness Celebrations at the Infosys Theatre at Madison Square Garden on August 29.
- Expected attendance
- One report said around 5,000 Hindu Americans and Hindu non-resident Indians are expected to attend.
- USCIRF allegations
- The commission alleged that RSS subgroups have perpetrated violent attacks against Christians, Dalits, Muslims and Sikhs, and accused the Indian government of transnational repression.
- India’s response
- External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described USCIRF as biased, misleading and lacking credibility.
- Protests and safety
- Hindus for Human Rights and allied groups planned protests outside the venue, while the Hindu American Foundation urged attendees to avoid confrontations and report threats.
- Recommendation status
- USCIRF recommendations are not binding, and one report said Washington had not imposed sanctions following recent recommendations.
Quotes
Randhir Jaiswal
Spokesman for India’s External Affairs Ministry
“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,”
freepressjournal.in
deccanchronicle.com
“Without this accountability, religious freedom will only deteriorate further, as vigilante mobs continue to attack religious minorities and their houses of worship under the guise of enforcing anti-conversion laws and other harmful policies”
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United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
US congressional advisory body on international religious freedom
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has enforced policies that closely align with the RSS’ Hindutva ideology, inherently discriminating against religious minority communities”
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“The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is deeply concerned about the visit of Mohan Bhagwat, chief of India's Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to the United States,”
deccanchronicle.com
Sravya Tadepalli
Deputy Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights
“Mohan Bhagwat does not represent Hindus. He leads an extremist Hindu nationalist movement that has fuelled violence, exclusion and fear for minority communities,”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
US religious freedom panel seeks sanctions against RSS members, calls for revocation of Mohan Bhagwat's visa
USCIRF Seeks Revocation Of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Visa As Protests Loom Over New York Event
Revoke RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s US visa, panel on religious freedom urges Trump government
US Body Urges Trump Admin To Revoke Mohan Bhagwat's Visa
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