RSS chief’s Madison Square Garden appearance draws opposition from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, while supporters defend the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’.
Our Bureau
New York, NY
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived in New York on Tuesday on the first leg of his three-nation global outreach tour to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom at the invitation of overseas local organisations as part of its centenary year celebrations.
Upon his arrival, he recieved a cordial welcome with a ’tilak’.
The visit coincides with the RSS’s centenary year, during which Bhagwat is expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora and representatives of local organisations.
Bhagwat will host one of the largest and most diverse community gatherings, the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations,’ at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday. The event is organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum. Bhagwat’s address at the event is expected to draw significant national and international interest.
The event will mark the traditional observance of the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan with a modern message centred on unity, civic duty, and global harmony.
Organisers said that the gathering will have cultural performances coinciding with the theme of the day. Prominent faith-based speakers will also grace the occasion.
Meanwhile, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) upcoming event in the city, though he admitted he was uncertain whether the municipal administration had any jurisdiction to cancel a privately organised gathering.
“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction over cancelling a private event,” Mamdani said during a press conference.
During the press conference, Mamdani also spoke about his Indian-American background and his understanding of India.
“I also stand here as the first Indian American mayor in our city’s history. My mother’s family is all still in India. The vision of India that I was taught by my family, and the one that I grew up being very familiar with, was of a pluralistic society — a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India,” Mamdani said.
He added, “It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly. And so it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to — not only as an Indian American, but also as the mayor of a city that believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person, no matter their colour, their creed, their religion, their faith, wherever they’re from.”
In response, American singer Mary Millben lashed out at critics opposing the upcoming Madison Square Garden (MSG) event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, targeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and accusing opponents of being driven purely by hostility toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The US singer also expressed support for the central theme of the event while calling for constructive dialogue: “Side note, I like the rally title. ‘Oneness’. We are ONE family. I hope this rally includes meaningful dialogue on religious freedom in India,” she noted.
Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hit back at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) over its latest remarks targeting the RSS, calling the US body “biased” and saying it lacks credibility.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a media briefing, said that the USCIRF has repeatedly made incorrect and provocative statements about India and that such statements should be ignored.
“We all know this is a biased institution. For years, it has made incorrect and provocative statements about India. We should ignore such institutions, as they have their own agendas and lack credibility,” Jaiswal said during the briefing.
The MEA’s remarks came after USCIRF officials called for sanctions against the RSS and urged the US government not to extend high-level diplomatic courtesies or hold meetings with its leaders.
The latest remarks follow USCIRF’s annual report released in March, in which the commission criticised India over alleged religious freedom violations and backed targeted sanctions against individuals and entities, including the RSS and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
India had strongly rejected the report, describing it as a “distorted and selective” portrayal of the country based on what it called “questionable sources and ideological narratives”.