Address attacks on Hindu temples in the U.S., MEA says

The U.S. Commission connected International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) successful its latest study has presented a “distorted and selective representation of India”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said connected Monday (March 16, 2026). Instead of criticising India based connected “ideological narratives”, the Commission should item incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu temples successful the United States, the MEA’s authoritative spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“For respective years now, the USCIRF has persisted successful presenting a distorted and selective representation of India, relying connected questionable sources and ideological narratives alternatively than nonsubjective facts. Such repeated misrepresentations lone undermine the credibility of the Commission itself,” Mr. Jaiswal said aft the USCIRF successful its latest study called for “targeted sanctions” against India’s outer quality agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), “for their work and tolerance of respective violations of spiritual state by freezing those individuals’ and entities assets and barring their introduction into the United States”.

The USCIRF’s study further said that bilateral commercialized policies with India should beryllium linked to “improvements successful spiritual freedoms”.

“Instead of persisting with selective disapproval of India, USCIRF would bash good to bespeak connected the disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks connected Hindu temples successful the United States,” Mr. Jaiswal said, responding to the remarks, adding, “Growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora successful the United States merit superior attention.”

There person been respective incidents of unit against individuals belonging to the Indian assemblage successful the U.S. arsenic good arsenic members of the Indian diaspora successful the U.S. successful caller years. There person besides been respective incidents of vandalism against Hindu temples and properties that India has urged the U.S. to address.