A U.S. panel on religious freedom has expressed concern over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the U.S. and urged sanctions against members of the organisation, which it described as the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
IAMC and allied faith organisations protest against Mohan Bhagwat’s event at Madison Square Garden Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the RSS, is on a U.S. visit and is scheduled to speak at a Saturday (August 29, 2026) event in New York City.
“We urge the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat,” Asif Mahmood, chair of the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in a statement on Wednesday (August 26).
USCIRF is a bipartisan body of the U.S. government that monitors religious freedom around the world and makes policy recommendations, which are not binding.
Washington has not imposed sanctions after recent recommendations.
Mamdani says he opposes RSS, does not support Mohan Bhagwat’s event at Madison Square Garden The External Affairs Ministry dismissed the panel’s assertions, casting USCIRF as biased against India.
Rights groups say the RSS promotes majoritarian ideology fueling intolerance towards minorities.
USCIRF seeks sanctions against RSS, no high-level meetings with its leaders The RSS disputes being intolerant and says it is a “Hindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement” that wants to take India “to the pinnacle of glory,” including by uniting Hindus.
