‘Reflect On Attacks On Hindu Temples In US’: India’s Sharp Retort To USCIRF Report

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 19:36 IST

India criticized the USCIRF report for presenting a "distorted and selective picture" and recommended sanctions against RSS and R&AW. MEA's Randhir Jaiswal rejected the bias.

India on Monday slammed the report by US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for presenting “a distorted and selective picture of India" after the organization recommended sanctions against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India categorically rejects 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," he said.

“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’s annual report, released on Sunday, recommended targeted sanctions against organisations including the RSS and R&AW over alleged violations of religious freedom. The commission also urged the US government to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern," a category used for nations accused of systematic and serious violations of religious freedom.

In its report, the USCIRF claimed that religious freedom conditions in India had continued to deteriorate in 2025. It alleged that authorities had introduced or strengthened laws targeting religious minorities, including stricter anti-conversion legislation in several states. The report also cited communal clashes in states such as Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, and criticised legislation such as the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The commission further recommended that Washington link arms sales and trade relations with India to measurable progress on religious freedom issues.

“Several states undertook efforts to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws to include harsher prison sentences. Indian authorities also facilitated widespread detention and illegal expulsion of citizens and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against religious minority communities," the report said.

The USCIRF cited communal clashes in states like Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, blaming groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an RSS affiliate, for violence.

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