India has rejected a US report that accused the Indian government of worsening religious freedom conditions and urged sanctions on its spy agency, RAW. The 2025 report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) claims the Indian government’s “hateful rhetoric” fueled violence against religious minorities, particularly Muslims, and calls for US sanctions on Indian individuals and entities, including the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), over alleged plots to assassinate Sikh separatists abroad.
The USCIRF highlighted the deteriorating treatment of religious minorities in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP-led government, claiming that such rhetoric incited attacks, killings, and destruction of religious properties. In response, India’s foreign ministry slammed the report as “biased” and accused the commission of misrepresenting isolated incidents to further a political agenda.
Tensions between the two countries have been heightened after the US charged a former Indian intelligence officer for his role in a foiled assassination plot against a Sikh separatist leader in the US. India has denied any involvement in such activities, particularly targeting Sikh separatists, whom it labels as security threats.
Despite ongoing concerns from human rights groups about rising hate speech, anti-minority laws, and actions like the revocation of Kashmir’s special status, the US has maintained its strategic alliance with India, focusing on shared concerns about China’s rising influence. The report’s recommendations, including designating India as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom violations, remain non-binding, but they highlight continuing international scrutiny of India’s treatment of religious minorities.
