NEW YORK, United States: A large protest was held outside Madison Square Garden in New York as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat attended a “Universal Oneness” event, with demonstrators accusing the RSS of promoting a Hindu supremacist ideology.
Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Dalit and civil rights groups gathered outside the New York landmark to protest Mr Bhagwat’s appearance, accusing the RSS of promoting a majoritarian vision of India and associating it with violence and discrimination against religious minorities.
Organisers presented the event as a celebration of Hindu culture and the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the idea that the world is one family.
Protesters said the message of universal brotherhood could not conceal what they described as the RSS’s record in India.
“This is kind of a goodwill tour to improve the public image of the RSS,” Sravya Tadepalli of Hindus for Human Rights told reporters before the event, describing the organisation as a “fascist paramilitary organisation” accused of decades of communal violence against minorities.
The protest was organised under the banner “Hindus Say No to the RSS”, with organisers calling for a secular and interfaith India.
The coalition said the RSS’s Hindu nationalist vision threatens Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and others who do not fit its conception of the Indian nation.
Opposition Grows Before Bhagwat’s Visit
Opposition to the event had gathered momentum before Mr Bhagwat arrived in New York.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly opposed the event, describing the rise of what he called an exclusionary vision of India as deeply troubling.
He said the city might not have the legal authority to stop a privately organised event.
The controversy also reached Washington, where the US Commission on International Religious Freedom called for Mr Bhagwat’s visa to be revoked and urged the Trump administration to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials.
