NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
New York, NY, August 26, 2026: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly opposed an Aug. 29 gathering featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, as a coalition of civil rights, faith and community organizations called on Madison Square Garden to cancel the event.
Bhagwat is scheduled to address members of the Indian-American community Saturday as part of the “Universal Oneness Celebration,” organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, or AHEAD Forum. Organizers say more than 200 Hindu American organizations are participating in the gathering, which coincides with the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan and is centered on the theme Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or “The World Is One Family.”
Mamdani told reporters Tuesday that he did not support the gathering but acknowledged that New York City may not have the authority to prevent a privately organized event from taking place.
“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani, New York City’s first Indian-American mayor, said the India he learned about through his family was “a pluralistic society” and “a secular republic” in which people of different backgrounds belonged.
He said it was “incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country,” adding that he was in “deep opposition” to such a movement both as an Indian American and as mayor of a diverse city.
The mayor’s comments came amid protests from civil rights and interfaith groups opposed to Bhagwat’s appearance.
Among the groups participating in the opposition are the Indian American Muslim Council, Hindus for Human Rights and other religious and advocacy organizations. New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif and former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander have also joined calls for Madison Square Garden to cancel the event.
Organizers of Saturday’s event have presented a sharply different description of the gathering from its critics.
AHEAD Forum says the Universal Oneness Celebration is intended to promote “unity, not separation” and will include cultural programming and discussions about community service, respect for nature and unity across traditions. The organization says the event seeks to extend the meaning of Raksha Bandhan beyond family relationships to broader ideas of mutual responsibility and respect across communities.
Bhagwat’s appearance comes during the RSS’s centenary year and is part of an international outreach trip that also includes Canada and the United Kingdom. He arrived in the United States on Tuesday.
The dispute sets up competing demonstrations of support and opposition around one of the RSS leader’s most prominent appearances in the United States, with critics portraying his visit as a challenge to New York’s pluralistic values and organizers presenting the gathering as a celebration of unity and Hindu American civic life.
