New York: A large demonstration was held outside Madison Square Garden on Saturday as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attended an event at the New York venue, with protesters calling for US action against him and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The protest, led by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and supported by several interfaith, community and civil rights organisations, saw participants demand the cancellation of Bhagwat’s visa and targeted sanctions against the RSS leadership.
Demonstrators held banners and raised slogans against the Sangh, accusing the organisation of promoting Hindu majoritarian politics and of contributing to hostility against religious minorities in India.
The gathering took place shortly after the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged the American government to revoke Bhagwat’s visa. The commission had also recommended sanctions against the RSS, citing concerns over alleged violence and discrimination affecting Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Sikhs.
Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is contesting for Congress, joined the protesters and criticised Madison Square Garden for allowing the programme to be held.
“We have gathered here to say no to the RSS,” Lander said, describing the event as a “hate-filled fascist rally”.
City Council Member Julie Won also questioned the decision to host the RSS chief, saying New York should not offer space to individuals or organisations accused of spreading hate-based politics. She alleged that the RSS had been linked to decades of violence against religious minorities.
IAMC board member Safa Ahmed said the protest was intended to make clear that Bhagwat and the RSS would face resistance in New York. She accused the organisation of seeking to build pride in Hindu identity through the marginalisation of other communities.
Anuraag Khandelwal of Hindus for Human Rights said the protest rejected attempts to portray the RSS’s ideological programme as an expression of universal unity or cultural harmony.
“We are here because times are bleak and because we refuse to stay silent,” Khandelwal said, accusing the RSS of attempting to rebrand a history of minority vilification.
IAMC said the opposition to Bhagwat’s visit had drawn support from 65 civil rights and interfaith organisations across the United States. It also claimed that more than 1,000 people had written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seeking action to prevent Bhagwat’s entry into the country.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had earlier voiced opposition to the event. Council Members Shahana Hanif, Lincoln Restler and Julie Won, along with Lander, had urged Madison Square Garden to cancel the programme.
The RSS, established in 1925, is considered the ideological fountainhead of India’s Hindu nationalist movement. Rights groups and academics have repeatedly criticised its Hindutva ideology and raised concerns over the alleged involvement of some of its members and affiliates in attacks on minority communities.
IAMC said it would continue pressing the US State Department to act on USCIRF’s recommendations, including visa restrictions and other sanctions against RSS leaders.