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Ahead of the Madison Square Garden address by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat schedules for Thursday, the US rights body-the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has once again released a provocative statement alleging that religious freedom was deteriorating in India and that the US must consider sanctions against RSS.
The body which is chaired by Pakistani-American Asif Mahmood on Wednesday (local time) said, "Religious freedom conditions in India continue to deteriorate as violence and incitement are frequently used to target religious minority communities. We urge the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat and making him ineligible for future entry into the United States." "The U.S. government has an opportunity to hold India accountable and signal that the United States stands for religious freedom for the people of India," said Vice Chair Cece Heil. The Ministry of External Affairs on August 21 had condemned the call given by USCIRF to bar meetings of the RSS Chief in the US calling the rights body "biased" and saying it lacks credibility MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a media briefing, said that the commission has repeatedly made incorrect and provocative statements about India and that such statements should be ignored. "We all know this is a biased institution. For years, it has made incorrect and provocative statements about India. We should ignore such institutions, as they have their own agendas and lack credibility," Jaiswal said during the briefing. Meanwhile, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar on Wednesday said that the 'Universal Oneness Celebration' in New York will be an interfaith gathering where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will interact with a diverse, multicultural and multi-faith audience. Ambekar said the event has been organised with the spirit of open dialogue and mutual respect, reflecting the inclusive nature of the Bharatiya ethos. He said the initiative is part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's longstanding engagement with different communities in India and across the world to promote understanding and shared purpose. In a post on X, Ambekar wrote, "The Universal Oneness Celebration in New York exemplifies an interfaith gathering where RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat ji will communicate with a diverse, multicultural, and multi-faith audience. Organised in the spirit of open dialogue and mutual respect, the event reflects Bharatiya ethos which is fundamentally inclusive and welcoming to all." (ANI)
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