New York: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has opposed the proposed Madison Square Garden programme featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, while acknowledging that city authorities may not have the jurisdiction to stop the private event scheduled for August 29, PTI reported.
Mamdani made the comments on Tuesday, shortly after Bhagwat arrived in the United States as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s global outreach initiatives marking its centenary year. Bhagwat is expected to attend the Universal Oneness programme in New York and speak to an audience of nearly 5,000 people at the iconic Manhattan venue on Saturday.
At a press conference, Mamdani was asked about the RSS, the planned gathering and demonstrations being organised against Bhagwat’s appearance. Responding to a question on whether the event should be cancelled, he said, “I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event.”
Mamdani also referred to his Indian heritage, saying, “I also stand here as the first Indian-American Mayor in our city’s history, and my mother’s family is all still in India.”
He said his family had introduced him to an idea of India rooted in pluralism and secularism, where every citizen was entitled to a sense of belonging.
“And it has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly, and so it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to, not only as an Indian-American but also as the Mayor of a city that believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person, no matter their colour, their creed, their religion, their faith, wherever they’re from,” Mamdani said.
Groups Demand Event Be Scrapped
A coalition of interfaith and civil rights groups held a news conference outside New York City Hall to protest Bhagwat’s scheduled appearance and call on Madison Square Garden to withdraw its hosting of the programme. The organisations involved included Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council and the Interfaith Centre of New York.
The Universal Oneness Celebration is being organised by AHEAD Forum, which is hosting Bhagwat during his New York visit. In a social media statement, the forum confirmed that the RSS chief would attend the August 29 programme.
“The event carries a timeless and universal message: ‘The world is one family’. It calls upon us to look beyond artificial divisions and differences, recognise the bonds that unite humanity, and embrace a spirit of mutual respect, harmony, and oneness,” the post said.
Bhagwat’s visit to the US is part of a broader international tour covering Canada and the UK. The outreach programme has been planned as part of the RSS’s centenary-year activities, while his proposed New York appearance has triggered both public support and opposition ahead of the Madison Square Garden event.