Two USCIRF officials claim vigilante attacks on gurdwaras in India

Two officials of an American advisory body on religious freedom have claimed that Sikh gurdwaras in India have been targeted with vigilante attacks and urged the U.S. government to press New Delhi to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable.

"Over the last several weeks, Sikh gurdwaras in India have been targeted with vigilante attacks, including attempts to harm religious leaders,” U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner David Anderson said in a social media post without elaborating.

ALSO WATCH Sukhbir Singh Badal injured in knife attack inside Nanded gurdwara Mr. Anderson said the U.S. should link security assistance to the Indian government's response to violence that stops people from exercising freedom of religious belief (FoRB).

Another USCIRF Commissioner, Joe Grogan, said attacks on houses of worship in India, including churches, gurdwaras, and mosques, undermine FoRB rights enshrined in international law. “The US government should continue to press the Indian government to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable & protect places of worship,” he said.

India describes USCIRF as a biased organisation that lacks credibility. Established by the U.S. government in 1998 after the inaction of the International Religious Freedom Act, the recommendations of USCIRF are non-binding on the U.S.

State Department.