‘Poison To Unity’: Congress Urges US to Impose Ban on RSS After USCIRF Recommends Sanctions On Sangh And R&AW

New Delhi: A day after the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called for sanctions against the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling BJP’s ideological foundation, the Indian National Congress launched a scathing attack on the RSS, seeking a ban on the organisation.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the Congress party stated, "The U.S. should impose a ban on RSS."

Sharing a post by the USCIRF, the party further noted, "This recommendation was made to the Donald Trump administration by the USCIRF, an official U.S. government body."

Highlighting the commission's findings, the Congress party added, "The USCIRF has warned that the RSS poses a threat to people's religious freedom."

The party concluded by asserting that "an organization that opposes the Constitution and advocates running the country according to the Manusmriti is poison to the unity and brotherhood of this nation."

Why the furore?

The statement comes in after US religious freedom panel had proposed specific sanctions against key Indian organizations, including RSS and R&AW, citing alleged religious freedom violations.

In its latest report, the USCIRF asserted that these organisations must be held accountable for their "responsibility and tolerance of severe religious freedom violations." 

To enforce this, the commission proposed targeted sanctions, including the freezing of personal or organizational assets and imposing a U.S. travel ban on the individuals or entities involved.

‘Country of Particular Concern’

Additionally, the commission demanded that the U.S. State Department designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC). 

This label is reserved for nations whose governments engage in or tolerate "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedom, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

Progress in religious freedom

The USCIRF further recommended that the Trump administration tie future U.S. aid and bilateral trade agreements with India to measurable progress in religious freedom.

In its report, the USCIRF claimed that religious freedom in India "continued to deteriorate" throughout 2025. The commission alleged that the government introduced and enforced new legislation specifically aimed at targeting religious minority communities and their places of worship.

The report read, "Several states undertook efforts to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws to include harsher prison sentences. Indian authorities also facilitated widespread detention and illegal expulsion of citizens and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against religious minority communities."

Pahalgam terror attack

The USCIRF report highlighted that the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, served as a catalyst for "intensified anti-Muslim sentiment" across India. 

According to the commission, this atmosphere led to targeted attacks against the community, specifically citing a series of incidents in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh as evidence of the fallout.

Incident in UP 

According to the USCIRF report, self-identified members of a Hindu nationalist group in Uttar Pradesh allegedly shot and killed a Muslim restaurant worker, claiming the act was "retribution" for the lives lost in the Kashmir attack. 

Furthermore, the report asserts that the Indian government leveraged the fallout of the tragedy to fast-track the deportation of religious minorities it classifies as "illegal" migrants.

Rohingyas detained

The USCIRF further alleged that Indian authorities detained approximately 40 Rohingya refugees, including 15 Christians, and transported them into international waters near the coast of Myanmar. 

According to the report, these individuals were then "forced to swim to the Burmese shore with nothing more than life vests."

Crticised Waqf (Amendment) Bill

The USCIRF also criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, a piece of legislation that mandates the inclusion of non-Muslim members on boards responsible for managing and regulating Muslim land endowments. 

These endowments, or Waqf properties, include vital religious and community sites such as mosques, seminaries (madrasas), and graveyards.

Calls out state govt

The USCIRF also called out the state governments of Maharashtra, Assam, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan for implementing or tightening "anti-conversion" laws. 

The report criticized these measures for carrying increasingly harsh penalties and creating legal hurdles that infringe on the individual right to choose or change one's faith.

Mention of Umar Khalid

The USCIRF report also specifically addressed the ongoing detentions of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others linked to the 2020 anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protests. 

The commission labeled these prolonged incarcerations as a tool to stifle dissent and target those advocating for religious minority rights.

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