The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Wednesday defended an event in New York, set to feature RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The organisation said that the event, titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ is being organised “in the spirit of open dialogue and mutual respect” and would reflect “Bhartiya ethos”.
The RSS backing of the upcoming event at Madison Square Garden on August 29 came hours after NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he does not support it.
“Organized in the spirit of open dialogue and mutual respect, the event reflects Bharatiya ethos which is fundamentally inclusive and welcoming to all,” RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said in an X post.
The RSS official also invited people interested in knowing more about the RSS philosophy to participate.
“This initiative is in line with longstanding tradition of engagement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with varied communities across India and the world fostering understanding and shared purpose,” he added.
What did Zohran Mamdani say?
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani opposed the event on Wednesday, even as he agreed that the New York City administration may not have the authority to cancel it.
{{/usCountry}}New York mayor Zohran Mamdani opposed the event on Wednesday, even as he agreed that the New York City administration may not have the authority to cancel it.
{{/usCountry}}Asked whether the city administration should seek to cancel the event, Mamdani said he was “in deep opposition” to the ideology he associated with the RSS.
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“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 had said.
Mamdani's take on the event drew mixed political reactions in India, with some backing it and others slamming it. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC had accused Mamdani of “vote-bank politics”, arguing that the RSS chief’s event was intended to engage with Hindu Americans. “So who is Zohran Mamdani to give a certificate?," she said.
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Meanwhile, some Congress leaders, including Abhishek Dutt and Imran Masood backed Mamdani and questioned the RSS event. “What do they intend to achieve with this event? What message are they trying to convey to the world?” Masood said.
Mohan Bhagwat is currently in the US as part of a three-country outreach tour covering the US, Canada and the UK.