‘Incredibly Troubling’: Mamdani Opposes RSS Chief’s NYC Event, Cites City Limits On Cancellation

Last Updated:August 26, 2026, 02:48 IST

Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora at the iconic Madison Square Garden venue on August 29.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. (Combo photo: Reuters/PTI)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday said he does not support the planned Madison Square Garden event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, while noting that the city may not have the authority to cancel a private event.

Bhagwat is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora at the iconic New York venue on August 29 as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s centenary-year global outreach programme.

“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mamdani said at a news conference.

Mamdani Cites ‘Exclusionary Vision’

Responding to questions about the RSS chief’s visit and protests against the event, Mamdani said his opposition was rooted in his understanding of India as a pluralistic and secular country.

“I also stand here as the first Indian-American Mayor in our city’s history, and my mother’s family is all still in India,” he said.

Mamdani said he grew up with a vision of India as “a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India”.

He described the rise of a movement based on what he called an “exclusionary vision” as “incredibly troubling”.

“It is one that I find myself in deep opposition to, not only as an Indian-American but also as the Mayor of a city that believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person, no matter their colour, their creed, their religion, their faith, wherever they’re from,” he said.

Protests Grow Ahead Of Bhagwat Event

Mamdani’s remarks came as several interfaith and civil rights organisations protested Bhagwat’s planned appearance outside New York City Hall and called for the event to be cancelled.

The groups included Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council and the Interfaith Centre of New York.

Bhagwat arrived in the US earlier on Tuesday as part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme, which also includes visits to Canada and the UK.

The Universal Oneness Celebration, organised by AHEAD Forum, is expected to draw around 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden.

Promoting the August 29 event, organisers said it would carry the message that “the world is one family”, urging people to look beyond divisions and embrace “mutual respect, harmony, and oneness”.

(With inputs from PTI)

Key Questions Answered

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Will New York City try to cancel the RSS event?

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani opposes the RSS chief’s event but noted that the city may not have the authority to cancel a private event.

What is the purpose of RSS’s global outreach program?

The purpose of the RSS’s global outreach program is to interact with members of the Indian diaspora and representatives of local organisations, to widen the global conversation around Hindu identity by framing it through pluralism, civic participation, service, and global harmony, and to help people understand the organisation more clearly as it is often misunderstood.

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