Rights’ Groups & Activists Protest Mohan Bhagwat’s NYC Address

September

2026

Activists rallied outside the Madison Square Garden in New York (NY) on 29 Aug as Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed a large gathering as part of the RSS's centenary-year global outreach in the US—a tour that also takes him to Canada and the UK. RSS is a far right-wing Hindutva organization and the parent body of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Formed in 1925, the RSS has more than 5M members worldwide and over 250 affiliated chapters in the US. RSS promotes the vision of India as Hindu Rashtra—a Hindu ethnostate. The ‘Universal Oneness’ event, organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, brought 5K attendees from over 200 Hindu and Indian partner organizations. Bhagwat’s visit was opposed by many activists, politicians, and human rights groups in the US. On 19 Aug, USCIRF, a Washington-based US advisory body, sought sanctions against the RSS. On 20 Aug 2026, a letter by three Washington-based American Sikh groups, addressed to US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had urged that Mohan Bhagwat be denied entry ahead of his scheduled visit. The US-based Sikh advocacy groups wrote, ‘The RSS and its affiliated organizations have a long and well-documented record of promoting ideology and activities that have contributed to violence, discrimination, and persecution of religious minorities in India, including Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians.’ The letter was signed by representatives of the American Sikh Caucus Committee, Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast and American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. On 26 Aug, speaking at a City Hall press conference organized by Hindus for Human Rights, Japneet Singh of Sikh Coalition said, ‘The Sikh message is clear: our own freedom is incomplete while our neighbors remain oppressed. That is why this movement is not Hindu versus Sikh or India versus America. Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and people across traditions are standing together against an ideology that places one religious identity above all others.’ On 25 Aug, NY City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim and Indian-American, described the RSS’s vision as ‘exclusionary’. He said, ‘I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event’ (earlier coverage).