Two USCIRF officials say attacks on gurdwaras in India are vigilante

Another USCIRF commissioner said attacks on houses of worship in India, including churches, gurdwaras and mosques, undermine FoRB rights enshrined in international law. File photo for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: ANI

Two officials of a US advisory body on religious freedom said Sikh gurdwaras in India have been the target of vigilante attacks and urged the US government to pressure Delhi to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable.

“Over the past several weeks, Sikh gurdwaras in India have been the target of vigilante attacks, including attempts to harm religious leaders,” USCIRF Commissioner David Anderson said in a social media post without further details.

Mr Anderson said the US should link security assistance to the Indian government’s response to violence that prevents people from exercising religious freedom (FoB).

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 pressure the Indian government to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable and protect places of worship,” he said.

India describes USCIRF as a biased organization that lacks credibility.

USCIRF’s recommendations, established by the US government in 1998 following the inaction of the International Religious Freedom Act, are not binding on the US State Department.

Published – 06 Nov 2026 21:42 IST