The Centre reacted strongly on Monday after a US federal government commission recommended that India be designated a "Country of Particular Concern" for religious freedom violations and called for targeted sanctions against the external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In reaction to the study, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We have taken note of the most recent report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We totally condemn its prejudiced and unfair portrayal of India. For numerous years, USCIRF has consistently presented a misleading and biased picture of India, depending on unreliable sources and ideological agendas rather than objective facts."

"Repeated misrepresentations erode the Commission's credibility. Instead of continuing to criticize India selectively, USCIRF would do well to consider the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of Indian diaspora members in the United States, which deserve serious attention," he added.
The USCIRF issued the suggestions in its 2026 Annual Report, which evaluates situations in 2025. The report requests the US government to identify India as a CPC for allegedly "engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations".

It seeks targeted sanctions against individuals and entities, including R&AW and the RSS, "for their responsibility and tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom" through measures such as asset freeze and entrance restrictions into the US.
The commission also proposed connecting future US security aid and bilateral economic policy with India to increased religious freedom.
It urged the US Congress to reintroduce and adopt the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024, which would mandate annual reporting on acts of transnational repression by the Indian government against religious minorities in the United States.In its evaluation of India, the report stated that religious freedom conditions worsened in 2025 as the government adopted and enforced new legislation targeting religious minority people and their places of worship. According to the research, several states worked to enact or improve anti-conversion laws, including heavier prison penalties.