US Religious Freedom Commission Calls for Sanctions Against RSS Chief Ahead of NYC Visit

WASHINGTON, D.C. — August 27, 2026 — As tensions escalate surrounding a scheduled appearance in New York City, a prominent bipartisan United States commission has urged the federal government to impose targeted sanctions on Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a powerful Hindu nationalist organization in India.

The call for action comes from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a federal body tasked with monitoring global religious liberty and providing policy recommendations to the White House and Congress.

Visa Revocation Requested

In a formal statement released this week, Asif Mahmood, chair of the USCIRF, explicitly called for the U.S. government to take a hardline stance.

“We urge the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat,” Mahmood said.

Bhagwat is currently in the United States for a high-profile speaking engagement at Madison Square Garden this Saturday. While the commission’s recommendations are non-binding, the public demand represents a significant diplomatic pressure point for the U.S. State Department as it navigates its complex partnership with India, a key player in the international geopolitical landscape.

A Deeply Polarizing Figure

The RSS, often referred to as “the Sangh,” serves as the ideological parent organization of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a long-term member of the organization, maintains deep ties to the group.

The RSS describes itself as a “Hindu-centric civilizational, cultural movement” dedicated to national unity and the protection of Hindu values. However, its history and platform have drawn intense criticism. Human rights organizations, both within India and abroad, frequently accuse the group of promoting a majoritarian ideology that fuels intolerance, systemic discrimination, and violence against minority groups—particularly India’s Muslim population.

In recent years, the RSS has sought to shed its reputation as a paramilitary organization through a sophisticated global outreach campaign designed to counter these narratives.

Diplomatic Friction

The Indian government has reacted sharply to the USCIRF’s latest pronouncement. Officials at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi have dismissed the commission’s claims, labeling them as biased, inaccurate, and a form of interference in India’s domestic affairs.

The controversy highlights the growing friction between the Biden administration’s commitment to promoting human rights and the strategic necessity of maintaining a robust relationship with New Delhi. As Bhagwat prepares to address his supporters in New York, the debate over the RSS’s influence on Indian secularism continues to draw sharp lines between proponents of the movement and advocates for religious minorities.