US rights body-the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) – has once again opposed RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s US visit and called for the revocation of his visa.
The commission has also called for Bhagwat to be barred from future entry into the United States.
In a fresh statement issued on 26 August (US Time), USCIRF said it was deeply concerned about Bhagwat’s visit to the US alleging that members of RSS and its subgroups of perpetrating “violent attacks against religious minorities” in India.
“Religious freedom conditions in India continue to deteriorate as violence and incitement are frequently used to target religious minority communities,” said USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood in the statement.
During his visit to New York, he is scheduled to participate in the Universal Oneness Celebration and address around 5,000 members of the Indian diaspora at ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ event being organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) at Madison Square Garden.
“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 and making him ineligible for future entry into the United States,” the statement said.
This is a second statement opposing Bhagwat’s US visit by USCIRF. Last week, the US advisory body on religious freedom called for sanctions against the RSS and urged Donald Trump administration not to extend diplomatic courtesies to its leaders or have high-level meetings with them.
Bhagwat’s US visit has been controversial.
On August 25, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also said he does not support a planned event featuring Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden. Mamdani, however, acknowledged that the city may not have the authority to cancel a privately organised gathering.
“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mamdani said at a news conference when asked whether the event should be cancelled.
Mamdani, New York City’s first Indian-American mayor, said his opposition was also informed by his family’s connection to India.
“I also stand here as the first Indian-American Mayor in our city’s history, and my mother’s family is all still in India,” he said.
On 21 August, the Ministry of External Affairscondemned the call given by USCIRF to bar meetings of the RSS Chief in the US calling the rights body “biased” and saying it lacks credibility
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a media briefing, said that the commission has repeatedly made incorrect and provocative statements about India and that such statements should be ignored.
“We all know this is a biased institution. For years, it has made incorrect and provocative statements about India. We should ignore such institutions, as they have their own agendas and lack credibility,” Jaiswal said during the briefing.
RSS on the Madison Square event
RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar on Wednesday said that the ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ in New York will be an interfaith gathering where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will interact with a diverse, multicultural and multi-faith audience.
Ambekar said the event has been organised with the spirit of open dialogue and mutual respect, reflecting the inclusive nature of the Bharatiya ethos.
He said the initiative is part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‘s longstanding engagement with different communities in India and across the world to promote understanding and shared purpose.
“The Universal Oneness Celebration in New York exemplifies an interfaith gathering where RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat ji will communicate with a diverse, multicultural, and multi-faith audience. Organised in the spirit of open dialogue and mutual respect, the event reflects Bharatiya ethos which is fundamentally inclusive and welcoming to all.,” Ambekar wrote on social media.
What is USCIRF?
USCIRF is a US federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. USCIRF commissioners are appointed by the president and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The commission’s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and the Congress.
In March, India had rejected USCIRF’s annual report that criticised the country for alleged violations of religious freedom. The report had then also backed “targeted sanctions” on individuals and entities such as the RSS.
Religious freedom conditions in India continue to deteriorate as violence and incitement are frequently used to target religious minority communities.
While rejecting the USCIRF report, India had said in March that the organisation has persistently presented a “distorted and selective” picture of the country that relies on “questionable sources and ideological narratives”.
(With agency inputs)
