Ahead of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's scheduled address at Madison Square Garden in New York on Thursday, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has again urged the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials over what it described as deteriorating religious freedom conditions in India. The independent US federal commission also called for Bhagwat's US visa to be revoked and for him to be made ineligible for future entry into the country.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, USCIRF said it was "deeply concerned" about Bhagwat's visit to the United States. The commission alleged that members of RSS-affiliated groups had been involved in attacks against religious minorities in India and argued that the US government should consider measures against individuals and organisations it believes are responsible for or complicit in religious freedom violations. The latest statement comes days after India's Ministry of External Affairs criticised USCIRF over its earlier call to prevent meetings involving Bhagwat in the US.

USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood said religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate and alleged that violence and incitement were being used to target religious minority communities. The commission urged Washington to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials it described as being complicit in religious freedom violations. Its recommendations included revoking the visa issued to Bhagwat and preventing him from entering the United States in the future.

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The commission's latest intervention builds on recommendations contained in its 2026 Annual Report. USCIRF has recommended that the US designate India as a Country of Particular Concern, a classification used under US religious-freedom law for countries involved in severe violations. The commission has also previously recommended targeted sanctions against entities including the RSS, including measures such as asset freezes and entry restrictions.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the US Congress to monitor religious freedom conditions around the world and make policy recommendations to the US president, secretary of state and Congress. Its recommendations, however, are advisory and do not by themselves impose sanctions or determine visa decisions. Any decision to revoke a visa or impose sanctions would have to be taken through the relevant US government processes.

The controversy comes as Bhagwat is scheduled to address an event at Madison Square Garden, bringing renewed attention to the RSS chief's visit and to disagreements between Indian authorities and USCIRF over the commission's assessment of religious freedom in India. USCIRF has argued that stronger US action is necessary to hold individuals and organisations accountable, while India has previously rejected the commission's interventions and questioned its assessments.

The latest statement is therefore likely to add another layer to the diplomatic and political debate surrounding Bhagwat's US visit. While USCIRF has repeated its call for sanctions and visa restrictions, the statement itself does not mean that such measures have been imposed. The immediate focus remains on Bhagwat's scheduled New York appearance and the continuing dispute between the US religious-freedom commission and Indian authorities over its assessment of conditions in India.

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