RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat faces protests ahead of New York City speech

Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is scheduled to address approximately 5,000 attendees at a “Universal Oneness Celebration” in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The event, organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, involves collaboration among more than 200 Hindu American organizations.

The appearance has drawn significant controversy, including protests and a public denunciation from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who described the RSS ideology as exclusionary and contrary to the city’s pluralistic values. Additionally, a U.S. panel on religious freedom has called for sanctions.

The RSS is considered the ideological predecessor to India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the organization from which Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged. Critics accuse the group of promoting Hindutva—an ideology seeking to define Indian identity through Hindu values—and allege involvement in human rights violations, including targeting minority places of worship and property.