Mamdani opposes NYC event with leader of India’s Hindu nationalist group

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed his disapproval of an upcoming event in his city that will feature Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Bhagwat is set to speak at the "Universal Oneness Celebration" on August 29th, according to the event's website. Mamdani, the first Muslim and Indian American mayor of New York City, stated that he does not support the rally but is unsure if the city has the authority to cancel a private event.

The RSS, which served as the ideological parent of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is accused of promoting an exclusionary vision and engaging in acts of violence and intolerance against minority communities. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has also cited the RSS's involvement in extreme violence against minorities for decades.

Despite this, the organizers of the event maintain that it aims to promote shared heritage and interfaith unity among the Hindu American community.