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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                  APRIL 03, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 16

                         Former judges, bureaucrats and

                          diplomats slam USCIRF report

             recommending sanctions on RSS, RAW

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            den agenda of some anti-Bharat vest-
                                                                                                                  ed interests to vitiate their goodwill
            New Delhi                                                                                             with the people of Bharat. We seek
            A                                                                                                     your indulgence and attention to this
                  total  of  275  signatories,  in-
                                                                                                                  highly significant and important mat-
                  cluding  25  retired  judges,  119
                  retired bureaucrats and 131
                                                                                                                      Earlier,  the  External  Affairs
            armed  forces  officers  on  Saturday                                                                 ter,” the statement read.
            slammed  the  United  States  Com-                                                                    Ministry also accused the USCIRF of
            mission for International Religious                                                                  “persistent attempts to misrepresent
            Freedom  (USCIRF)  report  asking                                                                     isolated incidents and cast aspersions
            Washington  DC  to  sanction  India’s                                                                 on the country’s vibrant multicultural
            Research and Analysis Wing and the                                                                    society.”
            Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)                                                                        This comes after USCIRF in its
            over  alleged  discrimination  against                                                                2025  report  said,  “Impose  targeted
            minority communities.                                                                                 sanctions on individuals and enti-
                 The US-based Commission had                                                                      ties,  such  as  India’s  Research  and
            alleged that India’s “political system                                                                Analysis Wing and the Rashtriya
            facilitates a climate of discrimination                                                               Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for their
            toward religious minority commu-                                                                      responsibility and tolerance of severe
            nities” despite offering some consti-                                                                 violations  of  religious freedom by
            tutional protections for freedom of                                                                   freezing those individuals’ or entities’
            religion or belief (FoRB). It called     Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected    assets and/or barring their entry into
            for sanctions against the RSS and the                   the allegations in the US report              the United States.” (ANI)
            RAW.                                                                                                      Former   diplomat   Bhaswati
                  In  a  statement,  the  signatories   provides a more objective and longi- ed “without proper macro-level evi-  Mukherjee  on  Sunday  strongly  criti-
            called  the  USCIRF  report  “disturb-  tudinal measure of religious freedom   dence.”                cised the latest report by the United
            ing”  and  “off-the-mark,”  and  said   than selective or episodic narratives.”      The  statement  said,  “In  this   States Commission on International
            that the US-based organisation’s rec-   “The demographic trajectory in   context,  it  shows  the  recurring  ten- Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
            ommendations against the RSS were   India presents a remarkably different  dency of USCIRF to portray Indian   In  an  interview,  responding  to
            “highly  motivated,  and  displayed  in-  picture  reflecting  continuity,  stabili-  state institutions and socio-cultural  a question on what triggered the
            tellectual bankruptcy.”           ty, and in some cases, growth as well.  organisations such as the Rashtriya   strong  reaction  from  former  judg-
                  Citing  the  2011  Census  data,  The data includes: Muslims in India:  Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in over- es,  diplomats  and  senior  officials,
            the Former Ambassador Bhaswati    9.8 per cent (1951) → 14.2 per cent  whelmingly  negative  aspects,  often  Mukherjee  said  the  signatories  in-
            Mukherjee  and  former  Addition- (2011).  Christians  in  India:  approxi- without proper macro-level evidence.  cluded a wide range of experienced
            al  Chief  Secretary  M  Madan  Go-  mately 2.3 per cent (1951) → 2.3 per  It raises legitimate concerns about  public servants.
            pal highlighted a “broad pattern of   cent (2011). Sikhs in India: approxi- analytical balance. The RSS, with its   Highlighting the tone of the re-
            demographic expansion or stability   mately 1.79 per cent (1951) → 1.72   extensive grassroots presence and   sponse, Mukherjee said, “We didn’t
            among major minority communities,”  per cent (2011). This data is taken   contributions to social service and   slam  them,  we  demolished  them.
            in  defence  against  the  alleged  dis-  from  official  census  data,  which  re- nation-building, may well be subject  And they deserve to be demolished
            crimination.                      flects a broad pattern of demograph- to critique, but such critique must be   for a simple reason, which is not writ-
                  Penning  the  notice,  former  ic expansion or stability among ma- grounded in verifiable evidence and   ten in the letter because it had to be
            government  servants  said,  “We,  the   jor minority communities over more   contextual  understanding,  not  only  courteously worded.”
            undersigned,  bring  to  your  notice  a   than six decades of independent con- on broad generalisations.”  Mukherjee  also  referred  to  the
            very disturbing and completely off-  stitutional governance in India,” the   “All  six  commissioners  of US-  contributions of the Indian diaspora
            the-mark report cobbled up by the   statement read.                 CIRF are appointed by the US Gov- in the United States.
            United  States  Commission  for  In-   “Such longitudinal evidence is   ernment and funded by American   Referring  specifically  to  the  re-
            ternational Religious Freedom (US-  critical and suggests that the overall  Taxpayers through the US Congress.  port, Mukherjee said, “And in partic-
            CIRF). Particularly, the way to assess   ecosystem in India has not produced  We call upon the US Government to   ular, to say that the R&AW, which is
            the credibility and balance of reports   the kind of sustained demographic   carry out a strict background check  the equivalent of their CIA, and the
            issued by bodies such as the United   contraction among  minorities  that  of all the contributors to this report  RSS,  which  was  founded  100  years
            States  Commission  on  Internation-  would ordinarily indicate systemic   in USCIRF. It will be an eye-opener  ago  to  serve  the  nation,  which  was
            al  Religious  Freedom  (USCIRF)   persecution or institutionalised  ex- to  the  taxpayers  of  the  US,  whose   then under colonial rule and since
            needs to examine the long-term de-  clusion,” the signatories added.  funds are being used by USCIRF to   then has always put what we call in
            mographic trends across the Indian      They argued that the negative   produce  highly  prejudiced  and  un- India ‘Seva,’ service to the communi-
            subcontinent with an approach that   aspects of the RSS were present- tenable  reports to promote  the hid- ty first.”

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