US religious freedom panel recommends sanctions against India’s RAW over alleged assassination plots: Report

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended targeted sanctions against India's external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) over alleged involvement in assassination plots against Sikh separatists, news agency Reuters reported. The commission, in its annual report released on Tuesday, also alleged that minorities in India face deteriorating treatment, the Reuters report added. The US State Department reports on human rights and religious freedom have noted minority abuses in recent years. India calls them “deeply biased”.(Atlantic Council)

The panel also recommended the US government “designate India as a 'country of particular concern” for religious freedom violations.

India hasn't immediately responded to the panel recommendation.

The commission also targeted communist-ruled Vietnam for allegedly stepping up efforts to regulate and control religious affairs. The panel recommended Vietnam – a country like India with which Washington has sought to build close ties given shared concerns about China – also be designated a “country of particular concern”.

Citing analysts, Reuters reported that the US has long seen India as a counter to China's rising influence in Asia and elsewhere, and, hence, overlooked human rights issues in India. The Trump administration is unlikely to impose sanctions on the R&AW, as the panel's recommendations are not binding.

Since 2023, tensions have grown between India and the US over allegations that India targeted Sikh separatists in the US and Canada. The issue escalated when Washington charged ex-Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav in connection with a foiled assassination plot of pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. While India views Sikh separatists as a security threat, it has firmly denied any involvement in such operations.

“In 2024, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as attacks and discrimination against religious minorities continued to rise,” the US commission said in the report.

It alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party “propagated hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities” during last year's Lok Sabha election campaign, Reuters reported.

The US State Department reports on human rights and religious freedom have noted minority abuses in recent years. India calls them “deeply biased”.

The Indian government and Modi have denied discrimination, stating that policies such as electrification drives and subsidy schemes help all communities.