India's RSS launches Western outreach amid minority rights criticism

India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the right‑wing Hindu volunteer organization that serves as the ideological base of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, announced a series of visits to the United States and other Western nations. The trips are intended to improve the group’s global image and counter allegations that it has been involved in violence against religious minorities in India.

The outreach comes as international criticism of India’s treatment of minorities has grown, and follows a recent U.S. federal agency report accusing the RSS of decades‑long acts of violence against minorities. Founded in 1925, the RSS promotes Hindutva – a vision of India as a Hindu nation – and operates a network of more than 2,500 affiliated organisations. Critics describe the RSS as a fascist‑inspired movement, citing historic links to Mussolini and Hitler and recent admiration for Israel’s policies toward Muslims and Christians. The organization’s close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a member since 1972, heighten its political significance as Modi secured a third term in June 2024.