MUMBAI,INDIA(National Times)- A United States panel on religious freedom has expressed concern about a visit to the country by the chief of the Hindu nationalist group that is the ideological parent of India\u2019s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and urged sanctions on the group\u2019s members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is on a US visit and is scheduled to speak at a Saturday event in New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The RSS, a powerful Hindu group from which Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s BJP emerged, said in May it had organised foreign visits to counter perceptions it is a paramilitary outfit involved in attacks on minorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe urge the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat,\u201d Asif Mahmood, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
USCIRF is a bipartisan body of the US government that monitors religious freedom around the world and makes policy recommendations, which are not binding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington has not imposed sanctions after recent recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India\u2019s foreign ministry has dismissed the panel\u2019s assertions, casting USCIRF as biased against India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rights groups say the RSS promotes majoritarian ideology fueling intolerance towards minorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The RSS disputes being intolerant and says it is a \u201cHindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement\u201d that wants to take India \u201cto the pinnacle of glory,\u201d including by uniting Hindus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UN and human rights groups say abuse of Indian minorities has risen in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They point to rising hate speech, a religion-based citizenship law, the demolition of Muslim-owned properties, the removal of occupied Kashmir\u2019s autonomy and an anti-conversion legislation that challenges freedom of belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India\u2019s BJP-led government denies being discriminatory and says its policies, including food subsidy programs and electrification drives, benefit all communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MUMBAI,INDIA(National Times)- A United States panel on religious freedom has expressed concern about a visit to the country by the chief of the Hindu nationalist group that is the ideological parent of India\u2019s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and urged sanctions on the group\u2019s members. Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n