Protesters Rally in New York Against Event Featuring RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Madison Square Garden in New York to oppose an event featuring Mohan Bhagwat, chief of India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Demonstrators called for the cancellation of Bhagwat’s US visa and targeted sanctions against the RSS.

The protest was organized by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) along with several religious and civil rights organizations. Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and City Council Member Julie Won also joined the demonstration.

Speakers criticized the event, citing allegations of violence and discrimination against religious minorities and expressing concerns over the RSS’s Hindutva ideology.

Earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had recommended that Bhagwat’s visa be revoked and that targeted sanctions be considered against the RSS. The commission cited allegations of violence against Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Sikhs.

According to the IAMC, 65 US-based civic and interfaith organizations opposed the event. More than 1,000 people also urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio not to allow Bhagwat to enter the United States.

Founded in 1925, the RSS is a Hindu nationalist organization widely regarded as an ideological force behind India’s Hindutva movement. The organization has long faced allegations of discrimination and violence against religious minorities, which the RSS has rejected.

Source: Provided report