28 March 2025 :- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended targeted sanctions against India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), citing alleged involvement in assassination plots against Sikh separatists. In its annual report, the panel highlighted deteriorating conditions for religious minorities in India, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of promoting rhetoric against Sikhs,Muslims and other minorities. (Reuters)

The report references allegations from 2023 regarding India's purported targeting of Sikh separatists in the U.S. and Canada, including the case of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who was charged in a foiled plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. 

Interestingly, India has been pushing for a ban on the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), labeling it a terrorist organization. The group has been organizing the Khalistan Referendum, a non-violent movement advocating for a separate Sikh homeland. However, rather than securing a ban on SFJ, India now faces potential sanctions on RAW due to its alleged involvement in extrajudicial activities in Western countries.