New York: A US based human rights and advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (Jan. 21) in a New York court demanding the United States blacklist as a “terrorist” organization a hardline Hindutva group named Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Commonly known as the RSS, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is patron/ parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
The lawsuit comes just few days ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to India as special guest on January 26. It is filed by a groups named “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ). The 26-page complaint likened Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to Nigeria’s armed group Boko Haram.
Information available with the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) reveals that the New York based US Federal court has issued a summons to US Secretary of State John Kerry to respond to the suit within 60 days.
In it’s lawsuit the Sikhs for Justice maintained that the RSS was responsible for instigating multiple acts of violence. The Human rgiths group accused RSS of “running a passionate, vicious and violent campaign to turn India into a `Hindu` nation with a homogeneous religious and cultural identity.”
Gurpatwant Pannun, legal advisor of SFJ said the lawsuit is filed after Kerry failed to respond to a written request last month for the State Department to blacklist “RSS”.