Key facts
- Hundreds protested an event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in New York City.
- The event was scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden.
- Critics accuse the RSS of promoting exclusionary ideology and human rights violations.
- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom called for sanctions against RSS members.
- New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly opposed the event.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in New York City to demonstrate against an event featuring Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The event, held at Madison Square Garden, was expected to draw approximately 5,000 attendees from various Indian American groups.
Critics, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have denounced the RSS and its ideology of Hindutva, labeling it as exclusionary and contrary to pluralistic values. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the U.S. government to consider sanctions against RSS members and revoke Bhagwat's visa, citing alleged religious freedom violations in India. India's Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed these remarks as biased.
Several interfaith and civil rights organizations, such as Hindus for Human Rights and the Indian American Muslim Council, have actively protested the event, with organizers stating their intention to convey that the RSS and its ideology do not represent them. Despite divisions within the Indian diaspora, the RSS maintains a significant presence in the U.S. with over 250 centers. Some observers suggest Bhagwat's visit is part of a public relations effort to improve the RSS's image.