New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has voiced his disapproval of an upcoming event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. The event is part of the RSS's centenary-year global outreach programme and scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden, expected to be attended by around 5,000 Hindu-Americans and Hindu NRIs.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed opposition to an upcoming event in which Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is slated to speak. The event, part of the RSS's centenary-year global outreach programme, is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden on Saturday and expected to be attended by around 5,000 Hindu-Americans and Hindu NRIs.
In a statement, Mamdani expressed his disapproval of the RSS, both as an Indian-American and in his capacity as mayor of New York. He stated that it is 'incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country.' His statement comes amidst calls from activists and political figures for him to cancel Bhagwat's event.
Mamdani added that while the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel a private event, his opposition to the RSS remains firm. He said that the vision of India he had grown up with was that of 'a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India.'
Objections have also been raised in Canada about Bhagwat’s upcoming visit, scheduled from August 31 to September 1. On August 7, two Canadian MPs urged Ottawa to ban the RSS and prevent Bhagwat from entering the country, citing his ‘history of hate speech’ and advocacy of violence against religious minorities.
On August 19, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom called for sanctions against members of the RSS, describing the organisation as 'biased' and lacking credibility. The commission had said that RSS leaders should not be given high-level meetings or diplomatic courtesies. Dismissing this, New Delhi on August 21 described the organisation as ‘biased’ and lacking credibility.
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