- On the morning of August 29, more than 5,000 people of Indian-origin gathered at New York’s Madison Square Garden to see Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The event was titled the “Universal Oneness Celebration”.
- Opposition to the event came from New York officials and organisations. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the RSS’s vision as “exclusionary”. Brad Lander and city council members joined more than 40 civil rights and community organisations to call on Madison Square Garden to cancel the event, invoking the arena’s history of a 1939 rally by the German American Bund.
- For nearly 45 minutes, Bhagwat expounded on the “unity of existence” and “dharma”, which he said stood for balance, not religion. He said, “I come from a country where there is oneness in diversity. We celebrate it.”
- Bhagwat told the Indians in the crowd to “be loyal” to their “karmabhoomi” or place of work – the United States, while their “janmabhoomi” or place of birth, India, “expects [them] to live the value imparted” to them, and “the value is oneness.”
- The opposition moved beyond New York, with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom calling on the Trump administration to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials involved in religious-freedom violations, and urging the government to revoke Bhagwat’s US visa.
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the RSS, spoke at Madison Square Garden on August 29, addressing over 5,000 attendees about the concept of ‘oneness in diversity’. He emphasized that “all paths lead to the same goal” and urged attendees to be loyal to their “karmabhoomi” in the US while honoring their “janmabhoomi” in India.128
The event, titled the “Universal Oneness Celebration”, was met with significant protests outside, where activists accused the RSS and BJP of fostering a climate of hate against religious minorities in India. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized the event as “exclusionary”, while former city comptroller Brad Lander invoked the arena's history of hosting hate rallies, urging it not to repeat past mistakes.345
Calls for Bhagwat's US visa revocation intensified, with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom urging the Trump administration to impose sanctions on RSS members. Vice chair CeCe Heil stated, “The US government has an opportunity to hold India accountable”, warning that inaction could lead to increased violence against minorities.
Bhagwat's remarks included a declaration that a Hindu who does not accept Muslims cannot be considered a true Hindu, asserting that “we celebrate” diversity in India. The event highlighted a deep divide in perspectives on the RSS's role in Indian society and its influence abroad.
“The event, titled 'Universal Oneness Celebration', featured imam Talib M Shareef of Washington DC's Masjid Muhammad, who said 'It is one world, one humanity.' New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the RSS vision 'exclusionary', while the US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged the Trump administration to consider sanctions and revoke Bhagwat's visa.”
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