The X account of the organisers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's New York City event saw a brief suspension on Thursday, before being restored.
American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum are the organisers of the Madison Square Garden event set to feature Mohan Bhagwat on August 29.
The group thanked X for having their account restored on priority. “We got “botted” by misguided opponents who tried to game the X algorithm and get our handle blocked,” the group said in an X post.
The X account was briefly ‘unavailable’ to users and the AHEAD forum reportedly attributed the suspension to an error. "We remain confident that our communications have consistently promoted universal peace, oneness, harmony, and constructive interfaith and intercultural dialogue in accordance with X's policies," it was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The development comes one day after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that he didn't support RSS or the event but didn't think the city had any jurisdiction over cancelling it.
{{/usCountry}}The development comes one day after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that he didn't support RSS or the event but didn't think the city had any jurisdiction over cancelling it.
{{/usCountry}}The rally is set to take place at Madison Square Garden on August 29.
Mohan Bhagwat is all set to headline the ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ at the Infosys Theatre in Madison Square Garden, NYC this week. He is currently in the US as part of a three-country outreach tour covering the US, Canada and the UK.
Also Read: 'Open dialogue': RSS defends Mohan Bhagwat's NYC event after mayor Zohran Mamdani's opposition
Mohan Bhagwat's visa revocation demand
Earlier today, a US Congress-constituted advisory body on religious freedom urged the Trump administration to revoke Mohan Bhagwat's visa with the RSS chief already in the US.
The USCIRF expressed concerns over Bhagwat's visit and alleged that RSS subgroups have “perpetrated violent attacks against religious minorities”, a report by news agency PTI said.
India has rejected the claims made by the USCIRF, describing it as a biased organisation that lacks credibility.
"It is a biased organisation. I would say that we should keep away from such organisations as they have their own agenda and lack any credibility...We do not expect that the USCIRF will engage with the reality of India's pluralistic framework or acknowledge the harmonious coexistence of its diverse communities," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said recently.
Row over Mamdani's remarks
A controversy erupted over Mohan Bhagwat's NYC event after Zohran Mamdani criticised it. Asked whether the city should move to cancel the event, Mamdani said, "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event."
He had also said, "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."
Zohran Mamdani is the son of Indian-origin filmmaker Mira Nair. He said he stands against the ideology of the RSS and said it was “incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country”.
The NYC Mayor's remarks drew reactions in India, with some politicians backing them and other opposing them.