- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly opposed the upcoming Universal Oneness Celebration featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, stating, "I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction over cancelling a private event."
- Bhagwat is scheduled to speak at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, with the event expected to draw around 5,000 attendees.
- RSS communications chief Sunil Ambekar defended the event, stating it exemplified an interfaith gathering and invited anyone interested to participate.
- The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and has been banned in India multiple times, including in 1948 after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Bhagwat arrived in the US on Tuesday as part of a three-nation visit that also includes the UK and Canada, aimed at promoting the RSS's core messages during its centenary year.
- The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged sanctions against the RSS, labeling it an organization whose sub-groups have perpetrated attacks on religious minorities.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has voiced his opposition to the Madison Square Garden event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, scheduled for Saturday, which is expected to draw around 5,000 attendees. Mamdani stated, "I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction over cancelling a private event."12
The event, dubbed the Universal Oneness Celebration, is organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, claiming support from over 135 Hindu American organizations. However, it has faced backlash from several interfaith and civil rights groups, including the Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights, who argue that Bhagwat's involvement represents an exclusionary ideology.
Mamdani emphasized his vision of India as a pluralistic society and a secular republic, stating, "It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement based on an exclusionary vision."
In response, RSS communications chief Sunil Ambekar defended the event, describing it as an interfaith gathering aimed at fostering understanding and dialogue. He invited anyone interested in learning about the RSS's vision to participate.3
Critics, including Sravya Tadepalli from Hindus for Human Rights, have condemned the RSS as an extremist organization, stating, "Mohan Bhagwat does not represent Hindus. He leads an extremist Hindu nationalist movement that has fueled violence, exclusion and fear for minority communities."
The RSS, founded in 1925, is the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has been associated with various controversies, including being banned in India multiple times.45
“The RSS statement came after Mamdani said he doesn't know if the city has jurisdiction to cancel a private event, while several US groups including Hindus for Human Rights have criticized the event. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged sanctions against the RSS, calling it an umbrella organization whose sub-groups have attacked religious minorities.”
dw.com
