RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is in New York where he will make a speech shortly at Madison Square Garden during an event called ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’.
The event, which being organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum, has kicked up a row amid opposition from some US-based Hindu organisations and also after remarks made by New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Also read: Mohan Bhagwat billboard appears in Times Square ahead of RSS chief’s New York event
Here is all you need to know about Bhagwat's New York event:
Date: August 29, 2026
Time: 2 pm to 5:30 pm (ET) or 11:30 pm to 3:00 am (IST)
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
{{/usCountry}}Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
{{/usCountry}}Who are the organisers? American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum
Where to watch Bhagwat speech live? Bhagwat's speech will be live streamed on the YouTube channel of ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’. You can also click here to track live updates on Mohan Bhagwat's New York event on HT wesbite and app
What is the event about?
The invite-based event will have more than 5,000 attendees, according to the programme's website that describes the event as ‘a one-of-a-kind celebration..'
“Held on Raksha Bandhan — a day that celebrates the bonds between us — this gathering affirms that unity, not separation, is the foundation of a healthy society,” the website says.
The event, which the organisers have called ‘an afternoon of shared teaching, cultural performance, and common ground’, has over 250 partner organisation and around 26 volunteers.
The event will have a cultural program that includes performances, music, and artistic expressions, according to the event website. “Through performance and creative expression, attendees will experience — not merely hear — what it means to hold all of creation as one,” it said.
The row around the RSS event
Ahead of the event, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani said that it was “incredibly troubling” to see the rise of a movement in India that was based on what he called an “exclusionary vision”.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mamdani stressed his opposition to the rally but pointed out that the city’s government likely did not have the jurisdiction to cancel a private event.
“I also stand here as the first Indian American mayor in our city's history. My mother's family is all still in India. The vision of India that I was taught by my family and the one that I grew up being very familiar with was of a pluralistic society, of a secular republic, that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India."
"It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly. So it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to,” he said.