USCIRF Urges “Country of Particular Concern” Designation for India Amid Escalating Religious Freedom Violations and Transnational Repression

USCIRF documented a surge in vigilante attacks by Hindu nationalist groups against Muslims and Christians, often carried out with “impunity”.

RMN News Human Rights Desk
New Delhi | March 17, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has formally recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for 2026. The commission cited a “severe escalation” in efforts to silence religious minorities both domestically and abroad, marking a significant deterioration in the country’s religious freedom environment throughout 2025.

Systematic Deterioration of Rights

According to the USCIRF’s 2026 Annual Report, the Indian government has increasingly enforced and introduced discriminatory legislation targeting religious minority communities. Several Indian states, including Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, have recently strengthened anti-conversion laws, introducing harsher penalties such as life imprisonment and criminalizing digital speech about religion.

Also Read:

[ Sikh Groups Demand Revocation of Modi’s G7 Invitation Over Transnational Repression Accusations ]

[ Sikhs Hold Protests in U.S. Against Modi. U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff Bill to Protect Sikhs ]

The report also highlighted the 2025 Waqf Bill, which aims to place non-Muslims on boards managing Muslim land endowments, and the State Authority for Minority Education (USAME) Act, which brings educational institutions for Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians under direct state control. USCIRF argues these measures constitute “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations of religious freedom.

Rising Vigilante Violence and Mass Expulsions

USCIRF documented a surge in vigilante attacks by Hindu nationalist groups against Muslims and Christians, often carried out with “impunity”. Following a deadly April 2025 attack on tourists in Kashmir, the report noted a spike in anti-Muslim sentiment and retaliatory hate crimes across states like Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

The commission further condemned the mass detention and illegal expulsion of religious refugees. In a notable May 2025 incident, Indian authorities reportedly detained 40 Rohingya refugees, including 15 Christians, transported them into international waters, and forced them to swim to the Burmese shore with only life vests. Additionally, hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims were expelled from Assam to Bangladesh after being labeled as “infiltrators”.

The Shadow of Transnational Repression

The recommendation for CPC status is bolstered by allegations of “transnational repression”—the use of violence or intimidation against citizens living outside a country’s borders. This issue gained international prominence following the guilty plea of Indian national Nikhil Gupta in February 2026.

Gupta admitted to a foiled murder-for-hire plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen and Sikh activist in New York. U.S. prosecutors allege the plot was directed and coordinated by Vikash Yadav, a former official of India’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). This case, along with the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, has sparked a major diplomatic crisis and led to calls for greater accountability for Indian officials.

Calls for Sanctions and India’s Rebuttal

USCIRF has urged the U.S. government to take concrete actions, including:

• Imposing targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and individuals responsible for human rights abuses, specifically naming RAW and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
• Reviewing U.S. arms sales to ensure they do not aid in anti-minority violence.
• Linking future security assistance and trade policies to demonstrable improvements in religious freedom.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has vehemently rejected the findings, labeling the USCIRF report as “motivated” and a “biased characterization of India”. The Modi administration maintains that such reports are part of a global conspiracy to discredit the government and insists that religious matters remain an internal affair.