Protest in New York against RSS chief’s visit

A massive protest unfolded outside Madison Square Garden in New York as the leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mohan Bhagwat, addressed an event labeled as a celebration of "Universal Oneness". Protesters, representing Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Dalit, and civil rights groups, alleged that the message of the event contradicted the RSS's Hindu supremacist ideology.

The rally took place as thousands gathered inside the venue for the "Universal Oneness Celebration", organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, who framed the event as a tribute to Hindu culture and the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or the world as one family.

Critics argued that such placards could not hide the RSS's history in India. Sravya Tadepalli of Hindus for Human Rights denounced the group as a "fascist paramilitary organization" with a spotty track record of majoritarian policies and violence against religious minorities. The protest, titled "Hindus Say No to the RSS", called for a secular and interfaith India, citing the RSS's vision as a threat to Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other communities that don't align with its definition of the Indian nation.

This opposition had been building up before Bhagwat's arrival in New York. Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York vocally opposed the event, describing the growing "exclusionary vision" of India as deeply troubling. However, he acknowledged the city's limited legal power to halt a privately organized event. The controversy even reached Washington, where the US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged the revocation of Bhagwat's visa and the implementation of targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials.