New Delhi: The Government of India has strongly rejected a recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom that raised concerns about the state of religious freedom in the country and recommended sanctions against certain Indian organisations.
The report, released as part of the commission’s 2026 annual findings, claimed that religious freedom conditions in India worsened during 2025. It called for India to be designated as a country of particular concern and suggested targeted sanctions against organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Research and Analysis Wing.
According to the commission, there have been ongoing concerns related to laws on religious conversion, incidents involving minority communities and rising communal tensions. It also proposed measures such as freezing assets and imposing travel restrictions on those it believes are linked to violations.
Responding to the report, India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the findings, describing them as biased, selective and not based on facts. The government said the report presents a distorted picture of India and ignores the country’s strong democratic values and constitutional protections for all religions.
Officials stressed that India is a diverse society where people of different faiths live together and enjoy equal rights. They also said that external bodies should not interfere in India’s internal matters.
The government further pointed to incidents of attacks on Indian communities and places of worship abroad, suggesting that such issues also deserve attention.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent advisory body and its recommendations are not binding on the US government. However, its reports often influence discussions on foreign policy and human rights.
While the recommendations have drawn attention internationally, experts believe that any immediate sanctions are unlikely due to the strategic relationship between India and the United States.
The issue has added to ongoing global discussions on religious freedom, even as India maintains that the report does not reflect the reality on the ground.