Leading civil rights groups have condemned the Hudson Institute for inviting top leaders of India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to speak at its India Conference on April 23. The groups cited concerns of accountability for human rights violations, democratic principles, and growing national security implications. The decision by Hudson Institute to host RSS leaders has ignited a larger controversy in Washington on whether policymakers, think tanks, and platforms should engage with ideological groups from other countries that have been accused of enabling religious violence and cross-border repression.

The coalition included the Indian American Muslim Council, Hindus for Human Rights, The Sikh Coalition, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Dalit Solidarity Forum, Save America from Hindutva, The Religious Nationalisms Project, No Hindutva Maryland, and Equitas Forum USA.

Signed by representatives of five human rights groups, a letter released Monday lambasted Washington-based think tanks, including the Hudson Institute, for hosting RSS figures like Joshi. At issue is a March 4, 2026, report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent U.S. government commission created by Congress to monitor religious persecution worldwide. Pointing to what it called widespread and “systematic, ongoing, egregious” violations of religious freedom in India, the USCIRF recommended targeted sanctions against persons and entities culpable for “violating religious freedom in India.” Its list of designated organizations included the RSS.

Though USCIRF recommendations are not binding, they are often considered by members of Congress as fodder for debate over executive decisions related to religious freedom, foreign policy, or engagement with international partners.

Allowing senior leadership of a group specifically called out by USCIRF to serve at a “captured stage” is an affront to survivors and feeds harmful narratives that whitewash perpetrators,” the letter continued.

In Washington, think tanks are considered important venues for policymakers and serve as a platform for meetings with journalists, elected officials, and diplomats from around the world. Often, think tanks like the Hudson Institute are forums for foreign dignitaries and political actors to promote their worldviews.

One organization signing Monday’s letter, United Against Hate, called RSS “the ideological backbone” of organizations responsible for targeting Muslims and Christians in India.

Dating back to its founding in 1925, the RSS promotes Hindutva ideology, which calls for defining Indian culture in terms of Hindu values. Praised by supporters as India’s largest voluntary movement for its on-the-ground outreach and service organizations, the RSS has been called a volunteer movement since its inception nearly a century ago. Opponents have regularly criticized the group as fascist or ultranationalist.

Coalition signatories further expressed concern over the RSS’s alleged connection to extremist ideology attributed to Gandhi killer Nathuram Godse. Though RSS officials have denied the organization’s culpability both historically and in a statement to NewsClick before the event, Godse was reported to have been a member of the RSS at the time of Gandhi’s murder.

In February 2026, Indian national Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in federal court as part of a murder-for-hire conspiracy against an American citizen. An Indian government official directed Gupta, prosecutors say. Canadian police have similarly claimed officers believed to be connected to India’s government were responsible for assault-related crimes in Canada.

Inviting him to Washington speaks volumes about how think tanks view their responsibility as public institutions,” the letter states.

Human Rights First also signed the letter sent to the Hudson Institute, the Law Council of Australia, the Nationalities Rights Network, and Sajan George, CEO of Universal Worship Association USA.

Think tanks advise Congress during committee hearings and consultations and are often invited to the White House to discuss topical issues. Their platforms provide a platform for media members to interview guests as thought leaders. As such, when think tanks provide speaking opportunities to certain organizations accused of religious persecution and targeted violence, it can undermine the United States’ position on defending religious minorities at home and abroad.

Hosting major RSS players normalizes and empowers those responsible for human rights abuses at the expense of survivors.”

Others have countered that think tanks should welcome guests with differing opinions. Congressional meetings, conferences, and events are places where world leaders can express their opinions and policymakers can hear those views firsthand. Not inviting figures who lead movements or push policies at odds with the United States’ stance could limit that opportunity and hinder a deeper understanding of partner nations.