Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:31am on 26 Aug 2026,Wednesday India Global
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has opposed an upcoming event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden on August 29. Mamdani described the RSS’s ideological vision as “incredibly troubling” and said he opposed what he characterised as an exclusionary approach, while emphasising his belief in pluralism and secularism. However, he acknowledged that the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel a private event. Bhagwat’s appearance is part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme and is expected to draw around 5,000 people. Interfaith and civil-rights groups, including Hindus for Human Rights and the Indian American Muslim Council, have protested against the event and called for its cancellation.
