Washington, August 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Hindu advocacy organisation HinduPACT has accused the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) of conducting a “smear campaign” against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat ahead of his proposed visit to the United States.
In a statement issued in San Ramon, California, HinduPACT criticised remarks by USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood and Commissioner Gene Mills opposing Bhagwat’s visit, alleging that the officials had unfairly portrayed Hindu institutions as dangerous.
“This is not scrutiny. It is an attempt to criminalize Hindu civilizational organization, stigmatize Hindu public leadership, and recast India’s majority tradition as suspect in the court of American opinion,” HinduPACT said.
The organisation also objected to Mills’ call for sanctions against RSS members allegedly responsible for violations of freedom of religion or belief, saying such a demand lacked “rigor, due process, or evidentiary discipline”.
HinduPACT alleged that USCIRF had paid insufficient attention to anti-Hindu hate, temple vandalism and what it described as civic exclusion faced by Hindus in the US.
It also accused the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) of supporting opposition to Bhagwat’s visit. The statement did not include responses from the three organisations or USCIRF.
Ajay Shah, founder and chair of HinduPACT, accused the federal commission of moving away from its mandate and adopting what he described as an anti-Hindu narrative.
“USCIRF has disgraced its mandate. When its chair speaks about India and the RSS, he sounds less like the head of a pluralistic American commission and more like an advocate for a hardened anti-Hindu narrative,” Shah said.
He defended the RSS, saying it had been involved for decades in relief operations, education, village development and social organisation.
“American Hindus see the pattern clearly. We will not accept a taxpayer-funded body being used to malign our faith, our institutions, and India’s democratic voice,” Shah said.
HinduPACT described the RSS as a major organising force within contemporary Hindu society and highlighted its community service, education and volunteer activities.
The organisation further alleged that Hindu groups faced selective criticism whenever they gained greater public visibility, accusing their critics of relying on “selective outrage” and “guilt by association”.
HinduPACT called on elected representatives, community leaders and other Americans to reject what it characterised as sectarian lobbying being presented as human rights advocacy.
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal commission established under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. It monitors religious freedom conditions in countries around the world and makes policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State and Congress. Its recommendations are advisory and are not binding on the US government.
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