- RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived in the US as part of the Sangh's centenary-year global outreach programme.
- The Universal Oneness Celebration is scheduled for August 29 at Madison Square Garden, featuring Bhagwat.
- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated he does not support the event but questioned the city's jurisdiction to cancel it.
- Several interfaith and civil rights organizations held a press conference opposing Bhagwat's appearance.
- US singer Mary Millben criticized Mamdani and other critics, accusing them of opposing the event due to hostility toward PM Modi and the BJP.
- The event is organized by AHEAD Forum and is backed by several Hindu American groups promoting shared heritage and interfaith unity.
- Many local organizations have criticized the event over Bhagwat's attendance and the RSS' history.
- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom states that the RSS has been involved in acts of extreme violence and intolerance against minority groups.
- Millben described Mamdani and his critics as socialist and accused them of misunderstanding capitalism.
- Millben suggested that critics should host their own rally if they oppose the event.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his opposition to the Madison Square Garden event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, stating, "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event." Mamdani, the first Muslim and Indian American mayor, emphasized his belief in a pluralistic society and criticized the exclusionary vision of the movement associated with Bhagwat.1234
The event, dubbed the Universal Oneness Celebration, is organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue and aims to promote interfaith unity. However, it has faced backlash from various local organizations, including Hindus for Human Rights and the Indian American Muslim Council, due to the RSS's controversial history. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has noted the RSS's involvement in violence against minority groups.9
In response to Mamdani's opposition, singer Mary Millben criticized him, suggesting that his stance is rooted in anti-Modi sentiment. She stated, "Mamdani and all these socialist nuts are opposing the Madison Square Garden (MSG) event... They answer to capitalism. And thus this event will go on because of it." Millben encouraged Mamdani to host his own event if he disagrees with Bhagwat's ideology, highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding the event and its implications for the Indian diaspora in the U.S.10
“Mamdani, the first Muslim and Indian American mayor of NYC, said his family taught him to see India as a pluralistic secular republic, and he finds the RSS's exclusionary vision troubling. The event, organized by AHEAD Forum, is part of the RSS's centenary-year global outreach, with Bhagwat addressing around 5,000 diaspora members.”
