US State Department seeks to dismiss move to classify RSS as terror outfit

By Newsgram Staff Writer

Representing the US State Department, US attorney Preet Bharara filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Sikhs for Justice(SFJ) for declaring Indian right wing outfit RSS as a terror group.

The motion for dismissal claimed that "Neither SFJ, nor this court possesses authority to compel the Secretary of State to designate an entity as a foreign terrorist organization- a discretionary action that implicated important foreign affairs and national security considerations, and which is entrusted to the political branches."

SFJ claimed that the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) needs to be designated as a terror outfit for "believing in and practicing a fascist ideology and for running a passionate, vicious and violent campaign to turn India into a Hindu nation with a homogenous religious and cultural identity."

SFJ attorney Gurpatwant S Pannum said ,"Political question doctrine cannot trump the fundamental rights of protection of life and liberty which are embedded in the American constitution." He added that SFJ will be challenging the motion.