Mohan Bhagwat Visit to New York Fuels Protests and Calls for Action

Nyc mayor: A planned New York City appearance by Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has prompted protests, political criticism and calls for action from U.S. officials and advocacy groups.

Bhagwat is scheduled to address thousands of people at Madison Square Garden on Saturday as part of an event titled the “Universal Oneness Celebration.” The gathering is being organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue and has received support from more than 200 Hindu American organizations, according to The Associated Press.

The event has also generated significant opposition. Critics of the RSS accuse the organization of promoting an exclusionary form of Hindu nationalism and have raised concerns about its record and influence in India. The RSS is widely regarded as an ideological force behind the governing Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly criticized the RSS’s ideology, describing it as exclusionary. His comments have added a political dimension to the controversy surrounding Bhagwat’s visit.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has gone further, urging the government to consider revoking Bhagwat’s visa and imposing sanctions on members of the RSS. The commission’s position has intensified calls from opponents for the United States to take action against the organization and its leadership.

Interfaith and civil rights organizations opposing the event say the RSS should not be presented as representative of Hinduism as a whole. Demonstrations are being organized in New York as activists seek to draw attention to what they describe as the dangers of Hindu nationalist politics.

Supporters of Bhagwat and the event, however, say the gathering provides an opportunity to discuss Hindu philosophy, community engagement and global unity. More than 200 Hindu American organizations have backed the event, highlighting divisions within the Indian American community over the role of Hindu nationalism in public life.

Bhagwat’s appearance comes amid continuing international debate over the RSS and the broader political movement associated with Hindu nationalism in India. His New York visit has consequently become more than a religious or cultural gathering, with supporters and opponents presenting sharply different views of the organization’s influence and goals.

As protesters prepare to demonstrate around the event, the controversy underscores the growing political divisions within parts of the Indian diaspora in the United States. Bhagwat’s speech is expected to attract considerable attention as supporters seek to promote the RSS’s global image while critics press for greater scrutiny and government action.

Source: apnews