India has dismissed the annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling it 'motivated and biased'. The report urged the US administration to link security assistance and trade to improvements in India's handling of religious freedom.
The USCIRF's report criticised India for alleged violations of religious freedom and backed 'targeted sanctions' on individuals and entities such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the USCIRF has persistently presented a 'distorted and selective' picture of India, relying on 'questionable sources and ideological narratives'. He called for the USCIRF to reflect on 'disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the US'.
The USCIRF report alleged that religious freedom in India continued to deteriorate in 2025 as the government enforced new laws that targeted religious minorities and their houses of worship.
