The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has published its 2026 Annual Report, highlighting a watershed in the history of the US-India relations, escalating its long-standing criticism of the New Delhi government to an unprecedented level. This is the seventh year in a row that the bipartisan panel has suggested that the United States State Department declare India a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a streak that began in 2020. But the 2026 report goes even a step further by directly recommending that the US government issue specific sanctions, such as bans on assets and entry bans, to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
The recommendation of the commission depends on a further decline in religious freedoms during 2025. The report lists a grim trail of events, such as mob violence against both Muslim and Christian communities, the passing of more restrictive anti-conversion laws in such states as Maharashtra and Odisha, and the supposed involvement of intelligence operatives in transnational repression. USCIRF is targeting the heart of the Indian political and security establishment by naming the RSS, the ideological base of the ruling BJP, and RAW.
Transnational Repression
The sanctions drive is not just a response to local communal tension but an answer to what USCIRF calls systematic, persistent, and gross abuse. By 2025, the spread of so-called “vigilante justice” regarding slaughtering cows and interfaith marriages reached a high level, often with what human rights observers describe as state-sanctioned impunity. International bodies like Human Rights Watch have previously flagged the use of draconian counter-terrorism laws to silence religious minorities and activists, a sentiment echoed in the 2026 USCIRF findings.
In addition, the fact that RAW is on the list of sanctions indicates a growing worry about the external activity of India. The USCIRF, in the wake of the 2023-2024 claims of targeted assassinations on US soil, claims that Indian religious intolerance has not only spread but also has become a national security issue for the United States. According to the report of this commission, an intelligence agency, when associated with the harassment of the religious diasporas in other countries, can no longer be seen exclusively in terms of internal security.
The Geopolitical Tightrope
Although the recommendations made by the USCIRF have great moral and symbolic influence, they are not legally binding. The US State Department, which decides the ultimate determination of CPC status and sanctions, has to weigh these human rights issues with the strategic imperative of the U.S-India partnership. India has been a strategic key pillar of the US Indo-Pacific strategy, particularly as a counterweight to China.
Critics of the report say the USCIRF is pushing the boundaries of its mandate, and pro-government activists in New Delhi are crying foul over the initiative as a type of foreign intervention. Those in support, however, claim disregarding these red flags undermines the international standing of the United States as a champion of democratic principles. With the debate growing, the 2026 report is a painful reminder that the shared values that Washington and New Delhi have been so fond of mentioning are under their most rigorous scrutiny to date.
