Christians Attacked, Muslims Targeted. RSS Does Global PR
JPhilips 
Supporters carrying saffron flags take part in a street rally in India as the RSS faces growing international criticism over rising hate speech, attacks on minorities, and its global image campaign.
Why India’s RSS Is Lobbying the West Amid a Rise in Hate Crimes at Home
The main Hindu far-right group in India, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is trying hard to improve its image in Western countries. But back home, minorities in India especially Muslims and Christians are facing more attacks, hate speech, and fear than ever before.
This is not a coincidence. Experts say the RSS global outreach is a direct response to growing international concern over human rights issues in India. The group fears possible US sanctions. So now, its leaders are meeting politicians and thinkers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany to present a different story.
But the facts on the ground tell a very different story.
What Is the RSS? A Look at the Hindu Far-Right Network
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (which means National Volunteer Organisation in Hindi) was started in 1925 in Nagpur, India. It believes in Hindutva an idea that wants to turn India, which is officially secular, into a country led by Hindu supremacy.
RSS runs schools, hospitals, and magazines. It also leads a large family of more than 2,500 right-wing groups called the Sangh Parivar. But critics say its real face is far more dangerous.
Apoorvanand, a professor at Delhi University, told Al Jazeera that the RSS takes inspiration from Europe’s old fascist leaders.
“You will find admiration towards the policies of Hitler,” he said. “This is how they wanted to deal with the Muslims and Christians in India.”
The group has been banned several times in India. The last time was in 1948, after one of its former members killed Mahatma Gandhi.
RSS & BJP – Strong Ties That Run India
You cannot understand India’s government without understanding the BJP RSS ties. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seen as the political face of the RSS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself joined the RSS in 1972, long before he became the country’s most powerful leader.
RSS is often called the “mothership” of the BJP. And under Modi’s rule, many of the RSS’s old goals have started becoming reality. A temple for the Hindu god Ram was built after a historic mosque was destroyed. The special rights of Jammu and Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region in India, were removed.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the RSS of dividing India along religious lines. But the RSS denies this. It says it only wants to unite Hindus.
Hate Speech and Violence Against Minorities in India
Incidents of hate speech against minorities in India went up by 13 percent in 2025, according to the India Hate Lab report statistics 2025. The India Hate Lab, a US-based research group, found that most of these cases happened in states ruled by the BJP.
Muslims in India are the biggest target. Since 2015, many Muslims have been killed by mobs over small disputes like carrying cows for farming or being accused of eating beef. These are not random fights. They are organized attacks, often led by cow vigilante groups that appear to feel protected by the government.
Christians in India are also facing growing attacks. Hate speech cases India 2025 data shows that attacks on Christians rose from 115 in 2024 to 162 in 2025 a 41 percent increase.
Reports include:
- Churches and prayer meetings being attacked
- Pastors being beaten
- Missionaries and pastors being arrested under anti-conversion laws
- Charity workers being accused of “forced conversion”
Raqib Hameed Naik, head of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), told Al Jazeera:
“What we’re seeing is a disturbing rise in hate crimes, violence, bulldozer demolitions, discriminatory laws and hate speech targeting minorities.”
Muslims Targeted by Extremist Hindutvawadi Groups
Let’s be clear. The attacks on Muslims in India are not accidents. They follow a pattern.
Cow lynching
Between 2010 and 2024, there were at least 83 major cow-related attacks. Most victims were Muslims. At least 43 people died.
In 2015, a 50-year-old man named Mohammad Akhlaq was dragged from his home in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, and killed by a mob because his family had eaten meat that some people wrongly believed was beef.
Bulldozer justice
In BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, the government has used bulldozers to destroy Muslim homes and shops. In many cases, this happens right after riots or protests.
In 2025 alone, more than 200 Muslim homes and a dargah (shrine) were torn down in Gujarat. Officials call it action against “illegal encroachment”. Critics call it collective punishment.
Fake encounters
There are many reports of Muslims being killed in staged police shootings, especially in Uttar Pradesh. Human rights groups say the victims are often poor Muslim youth who are labelled terrorists without real proof.
One of the most controversial tools is something called Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This is a review of voter lists that started last year.
Critics say it has been used to remove thousands of Muslim names from voting rolls a quiet way to take away their political voice.
US Report That Alarmed the RSS
So why is the RSS suddenly reaching out to the West? The answer is a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Last November, the USCIRF report on India said the RSS “has been involved in acts of extreme violence and intolerance against members of minority groups for decades.” It suggested that the US government should place sanctions on the RSS and its leaders.
This was a major moment. The USCIRF is a bipartisan federal body. Its words carry influence in Washington.
Raqib Hameed Naik explained:
“RSS’s international outreach is essentially a knee-jerk reaction to the USCIRF recommendation to impose targeted sanctions against the organisation and its leaders.”
He added that if sanctions are actually imposed, the RSS could become internationally isolated. It could even lose funding from Indian Americans who currently support the group.
That is why Dattatreya Hosabale, the RSS general secretary, is now traveling so frequently.
Dattatreya Hosabale Foreign Visit
Dattatreya Hosabale foreign visit trips included the US, UK, and Germany in April 2026. He met academics, business leaders, and politicians.
In London, he had dinner with members of Parliament from the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties. In Washington, he spoke at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.
On May 12, 2026, Hosabale held a foreign media briefing in Delhi at the RSS’s new 12-floor office.
He said the main allegations against the RSS that it is a paramilitary group, that it promotes Hindu supremacy, and that minorities are treated like second-class citizens are all false.
He called it “damage control”.
But the numbers do not support him. The India Hate Lab and other groups have clear data. Hate crimes are rising. Minorities are living in fear.
RSS International Outreach Strategy – Building a Global Right-Wing Network
Apoorvanand told Al Jazeera that the RSS has a larger plan.
“It is a dream of the RSS to create a network of right-wing conservative organisations worldwide,” he said.
That is why RSS overseas influence and diaspora politics matter so much. The Indian diaspora, especially in the US, is becoming richer and more powerful. Some members donate money to the RSS. They want India to remain a Hindu country, even while enjoying the rights and freedoms of Western democracies.
Hosabale has said he will visit more countries in Europe and Southeast Asia.
RSS international outreach strategy is clear:
- Build strong relationships abroad
- Hide the violence happening at home
- Prevent any international punishment or sanctions
Is There a US Sanction on RSS? Not Yet
Right now, is there a US sanction on RSS? No.
But the fear of sanctions is driving everything. The USCIRF report is only a recommendation. But if the US State Department or Congress acts on it, the RSS could be treated like an extremist or hate group.
That would be a major blow.
It would:
- Make it difficult for RSS leaders to travel
- Reduce foreign donations
- Expose the organisation globally in ways critics have warned about for years
That is why Dattatreya Hosabale is working so hard. That is why the RSS is pushing a counter-story. They know the truth is becoming more visible.
World Is Watching India’s Human Rights Crisis
India human rights debate is no longer only an internal issue. The world is watching. Reports from the USCIRF, the India Hate Lab, and the Center for the Study of Organized Hate are increasing.
Religious minorities in India especially Muslims and Christians are living in growing fear.
They are:
- Beaten
- Killed
- Silenced
- Removed from voting rolls
- Losing homes to bulldozer demolitions
- Facing attacks on places of worship
And at the center of it all is the RSS the group that says it is a cultural movement but has a history of praising Hitler, carrying out violence, and influencing the most powerful government India has ever seen.
RSS global campaign to improve its image may work for some time. But facts are difficult to hide. And the blood of innocent people cannot be erased by formal dinners in London or meetings in Washington.
The only real solution is for the world to keep asking difficult questions and for India to return to its founding promise of equality for all, not supremacy for one.
