Will the US ban RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat?
USCIRF urges US government to ban RSS chief Bhagwat's event.
If you haven't forgotten, it's important to remind that after the 2002 Gujarat riots, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, was denied a diplomatic visa by the United States in March 2005. Not only that, but his existing tourist/business visa was also revoked under provisions related to serious violations of religious freedom during the 2002 Gujarat riots. However, it is a different matter that in 2014, Narendra Modi was elected as the Prime Minister of the country and has since made numerous diplomatic visits to the United States. But at that time, the issue of banning an Indian politician from traveling abroad remained in the headlines and became a blemish.
It is true that history repeats itself. Now, there has been a call to ban a program in the United States involving the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has appealed to the US government to ban the program of RSS chief Bhagwat. It should be noted that this statement from USCIRF comes at a time when RSS chief Bhagwat is scheduled to visit the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom starting from August 25. The commission shared comments from its chairperson and Pakistani-American physician Asif Mahmood and commissioner Jeanne Mills on social media platform X.
Mahmood stated,
describing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s ideological parent organization RSS as an 'umbrella organization' and accused it of having affiliated organizations that have attacked religious minorities.
Meanwhile, Jeanne Mills said,
RSS leaders should not be given the benefit of high-level meetings or diplomatic facilities. Instead, they urged the US administration to focus on imposing sanctions on those RSS members found responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief.
These comments came after USCIRF's annual report released in March. In that report, the commission criticized the violations of religious freedom in India and recommended sanctions against some individuals and entities, including the RSS and India's intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
In USCIRF's 2026 annual report,
it was also recommended that the US designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" due to violations of religious freedom. Along with this, the commission suggested sanctions such as freezing assets and banning entry into the US against entities like RSS and RAW.
India had strongly rejected USCIRF's report. The Ministry of External Affairs accused the commission of presenting a "biased" picture of India and questioned its credibility. The ministry stated that USCIRF has consistently presented a "distorted and selective" picture of India based on "questionable sources and ideological narratives."
India also urged the commission to pay attention to attacks and vandalism on Hindu temples in the US, as well as incidents targeting members of the Indian diaspora community. On March 16 this year, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in a statement that,
instead of continuing to criticize India, USCIRF should consider the attacks and vandalism on Hindu temples in the US, the selective targeting of India, and the increasing intolerance and intimidation against members of the Indian diaspora community in the US. He said these incidents deserve serious attention.
USCIRF is an agency of the US federal government, but its role is entirely advisory. The commission's recommendations are not binding on the US government.
Meanwhile, Mohan Bhagwat is set to visit the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as part of an international outreach campaign on the occasion of RSS's centenary year. This tour is expected to begin on August 25. He has been invited by various local associations and organizations connected to the Indian diaspora community. During his three-country visit, Bhagwat is expected to meet and interact with members of the Indian diaspora community and representatives of various local organizations.