US religious freedom panel recommends sanctions against Indian spy agency

This follows accusations against the agency regarding its alleged involvement in the assassination of Khalistani separatists

 

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended targeted sanctions against India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the nation’s external intelligence agency, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

 

This recommendation comes amid allegations of RAW’s involvement in assassination plots targeting Sikh separatists. The panel’s annual report highlighted deteriorating conditions for religious minorities in India.

 

The USCIRF has urged the US government to designate India as a ‘country of particular concern’ due to violations of religious freedom. The report also recommended that Vietnam be designated similarly, citing increased efforts to control religious affairs in the communist-ruled nation.

 

The report noted that “Washington has seen India as a counter to address China’s rising influence in Asia and elsewhere, and hence, it overlooked the human rights issue in the country.” However, it is unlikely that the US government will sanction RAW, since the panel’s recommendations are not legally binding.

 

The commission’s report stated, “In 2024, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as attacks and discrimination against religious minorities continued to rise.”

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have also been accused of “propagating hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities.”

 

In June 2024, India rejected the 2023 US religious freedom report, calling it ‘deeply biased.’ The Indian government stated that the report does not understand the nation’s social fabric and challenged the integrity of some decisions made by the Indian judiciary, adding that incidents were “handpicked to form a pre-conceived narrative.”

Strained ties

Since 2023, tensions have emerged between India and the US over allegations that India targeted Sikh separatists in the US and Canada. The matter escalated when the US charged an ex-intelligence officer in connection with a foiled assassination attempt on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Sikh separatists are viewed as security threats in India; however, the government has denied any involvement in such operations.

 

Similarly, India’s ties with Canada were strained after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian government was involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Nijjar was a Canadian citizen.

 

(With inputs from Reuters)