New Delhi

Sambit Patra on Tuesday criticised the Indian National Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi over the recent report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has recommended sanctions on Indian entities.

Addressing reporters, Patra alleged that the Congress had supported the March 2026 USCIRF report, questioning the party’s stance and accusing it of going “against India.”

He said the Ministry of External Affairs had already rejected the report, calling it “motivated” and “biased,” and asserting that the commission relied on “unreliable sources” and lacked factual basis.

“The MEA has clearly responded that this commission works subjectively… its sources are not reliable,” Patra said, adding that the report’s claims had no factual grounding.

The central government on Monday dismissed the USCIRF findings, which recommended that the US designate India as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations.

In its statement, the MEA said the commission has consistently presented a “distorted and selective picture” of India and that such reports undermine its own credibility.

The USCIRF report also called for targeted sanctions on entities such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Research and Analysis Wing, including asset freezes and travel bans.

Additionally, it urged linking US-India trade and security cooperation to improvements in religious freedom and recommended reintroducing the Transnational Repression Reporting Act.

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Responding to the criticism, the MEA suggested that the commission instead focus on issues such as attacks on Hindu temples in the United States and concerns faced by the Indian diaspora there.