NEW DELHI: The upcoming foreign visit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat to UK, USA and Canada is also being closely watched by forces that do not want to see India rise. The US-based United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has once again displayed what can be described as its hostile approach towards India. The organisation has opposed Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the United States.
It is also worth noting that the organisation is headed by Asif Mahmood, who has his origins in Pakistan.
Officials from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) have once again made a provocative gesture as they called for sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and urged Washington against extending diplomatic courtesies or holding high-level meetings with its leaders. The rights body is currently chaired by Pakistani-American physician Asif Mahmood.
The remarks from the US advisory body come ahead of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s scheduled visit to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom from August 25, according to sources.
Dr Bhagwat is scheduled to undertake the visit at the invitation of various local associations and organisations associated with the Indian diaspora. The engagement comes at a significant time as the RSS is observing its centenary year. During his visit, Bhagwat ji is expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora and representatives of local organisations.
In a post on social media platform X, RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said, “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat will be visiting the USA, Canada and the UK from 25th Aug 2026 on the invitation from overseas local associations and organisations. This coincides with the occasion of the ongoing Centenary year of RSS.”
In a post on X, the USCIRF shared remarks by Commissioner Gene Mills, who said USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a member of the RSS.
In his remarks, Mills also said that RSS leaders should not receive high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies, even when they are affiliated with the Indian government.
The latest comments follow USCIRF’s annual report released in March this year, in which the commission criticised India over alleged religious freedom violations and backed “targeted sanctions” against individuals and entities, including the RSS and Research and Analysis Wing.
India firmly rejected the report, accusing USCIRF of presenting a “distorted and selective” picture of the country based on “questionable sources and ideological narratives”.
Strongly pushing back against the panel’s stance, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement on March 16, said that instead of persisting with “selective criticism” of India, the USCIRF should reflect on “disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the US, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the US, which merit serious attention”.
