Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is set to address an event in New York on Saturday, August 29, during the organisation’s centenary year. The programme has drawn attention after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticised the RSS and its ideology.
Bhagwat arrived in New York on Tuesday as part of a three-country outreach tour covering the US, Canada and the UK.
When and where is the event?
Bhagwat is scheduled to speak at the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ at Madison Square Garden on August 29. The event is scheduled from 2 pm to 5.30 pm ET and is being organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum.
According to the event website, the programme will feature cultural performances, music and artistic presentations.
“Through performance and creative expression, attendees will experience — not merely hear — what it means to hold all of creation as one,” it said.
Why is the event facing opposition?
The programme has become a point of political debate after Mamdani spoke about the RSS during a press conference on Tuesday.
He said it was “incredibly troubling” to see the rise of a movement based on what he described as an “exclusionary vision”. Mamdani also said he opposed the rally but noted that the city government likely lacked the jurisdiction to cancel a private event.
“I also stand here as the first Indian American mayor in our city's history. My mother's family is all still in India. The vision of India that I was taught by my family and the one that I grew up being very familiar with was of a pluralistic society, of a secular republic, that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India."
“It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly. So it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to,” he said.
Protests planned outside Madison Square Garden
Hindus for Human Rights and other organisations have announced plans to protest outside Madison Square Garden during the event.
“Mohan Bhagwat does not represent Hindus. He leads an extremist Hindu nationalist movement that has fuelled violence, exclusion and fear for minority communities," said Sravya Tadepalli, Deputy Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights.
Meanwhile, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has issued a community alert urging attendees to avoid confrontation.
“If you're attending: Be civil, respect everyone's right to assemble, protest, and express their views," the HAF said.