Swett suggested that the refusal for the visit stems from being critical of abuses found in India.
"India doesn't like the fact that there has been criticism of some of the troubling patterns we have seen in in recent years, but we can't commit to not write candidly about what we learn. This is our sworn duty," she said.
The bipartisan federal agency has been critical of India in the past. In 2002, the commission designated India as a "Country of Particular Concern" after 2,000 people died in inter-communal riots in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Although the designation was removed in 2005, India is still closely monitored by the group.
Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow on South Asian Studies at the Heritage Foundation, told CNA that India is misguided in refusing to collaborate with the U.S. religious freedom group.
"Indian officials are sending the commission a message that they don't agree with the commission's findings on India and don't support their work," she said March 18. "India believes religious freedom is an internal issue and mistakenly sees this as the best way to protect its sovereignty."
But Curtis argued that India would be better off allowing the commission to visit.
"This is just one more strike against India's reputation for stifling religious freedom," she said. "It was particularly important to allow this delegation to come now because there have been several disturbing incidents that have raised serious questions about the state of religious freedom in India."
"A better strategy would be for Indian officials allow USCRIF members to travel to India and provide their viewpoint. Because the fact is, the commission will continue to write their report and advise the president and Congress," Curtis said.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, there have been numerous reports of discrimination and violence against Christians and Muslims.
In Modi's first 300 days in office, there were "at least 43 deaths in more than 600 cases of violence, 149 targeting Christians and the rest targeting Muslims," according to a report by the All India Christian Council. There were also several cases of "desecration of churches, assault on pastors, and illegal police detention of church workers."
Fr. Dominic Emmanuel, prominent Indian author and former spokesperson of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese for 16 years, said the decision to prohibit the commission a trip shows India has something to hide.
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"I am not surprised that it has refused them visas. The government is afraid that the commission will find out first-hand about the laws and other incidents which deny religious freedom to individuals," he told CNA on March 16.
"India is now ruled by the right-wing Nationalist party, which not only glorifies Indian culture and religion but also undermines other religions, particularly Christianity and Islam,"
Fr. Emmanuel explained.
"Religious freedom abuses are on the rise. Several states have anti-conversion laws, despite the fact that the Indian Constitution clearly protects freedom of conscience. It is part of the BJP agenda to pass such anti-conversion laws," he said.
Modi, leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, has vowed to adopt anti-conversion laws nationwide. These laws, known as the Freedom of Religion Acts in India, are primarily aimed to prevent Indians from converting to Christianity or Islam.
Indians who violate the law face up to two years imprisonment and severe fines. These laws currently exist in six Indian states including, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh
Swett said that America should be vocal about helping India change these laws and oppose religious intolerance.