New Delhi: There was further controversy around Mohan Bhagwat’s upcoming event at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden.
Hours after the X account of American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum, organisers of Saturday’s programme featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Bhagwat, got mysteriously suspended, it was once again up and running.
AHEAD blamed it on ‘misguided opponents’.
“We are back up! We got ‘botted’ by misguided opponents who tried to game the X algorithm and get our handle blocked. A big thank you to @X @Support for the prompt response, restoring our account and clearing out the bots. Now, back to what really matters: celebrating Universal Harmony and Universal Oneness @Uni1ness.. Onwards!”
The AHEAD forum earlier issued a statement, saying the suspension may have occurred in ‘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,” AHEAD stated.
It seems they were right, and some entity did try to play tricks.
On Wednesday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he didn’t support RSS or the event, but the city had no jurisdiction to cancel it.
A US Congress-constituted advisory body on religious freedom urged the Donald Trump administration to revoke Bhagwat’s visa, although the RSS chief is already in America as part of a three-country outreach tour also covering Canada and the UK.
Expressing concerns over Bhagwat’s visit, the USCIRF (US Commission on International Religious Freedom) alleged that RSS subgroups have “perpetrated violent attacks against religious minorities”.
Bhagwat will speak at the ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ on Saturday.