NYC Mayor Mamdani opposes RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Madison Square event

NYC Mayor Mamdani opposes RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's Madison Square event "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event, " Mamdani remarked at a news conference here.

Key points

• 3 min read New York Aug 26, 2026 01: 13 AM IST.
• The organisations included Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council and Interfaith Centre of New York, among others.
• "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, " Mamdani remarked.
• Bhagwat arrived in the US earlier in the day as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's centenary-year global outreach programme.
• The Universal Oneness Celebration, organised by AHEAD Forum.

3 min read New York Aug 26, 2026 01: 13 AM IST. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday remarked he does not backing the planned event at Madison Square Garden where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will address members of the Indian diaspora.

Nevertheless, he stated the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel the "private" event. It is scheduled for August 29.

Bhagwat arrived in the US earlier in the day as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's centenary-year global outreach programme. During his stay in New York, he would participate in the Universal Oneness programme and address a gathering of around 5, 000 individuals at the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) on Saturday.

"I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event, " Mamdani remarked at a news conference here.

In practice, the Indian-origin mayor was responding to a question on RSS, the planned event at MSG and the protests against the event. He was asked whether the "rally" at MSG should be cancelled.

He remarked the vision of India that he was taught by his family and the one that he grew up being highly familiar with was that of "a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India".

"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 remarked.

In practice, a number of interfaith and civil rights organisations held a press conference outside New York City Hall, the seat of the city administration, opposing Bhagwat's appearance at MSG and pressed the iconic venue to cancel the event.

Meanwhile, the organisations included Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council and Interfaith Centre of New York, among others.

For context, the Universal Oneness Celebration, organised by AHEAD Forum. It is hosting Bhagwat, remarked in a social media post that the RSS chief will attend the Universal Oneness Celebration in New York on August 29.

"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 remarked.

Bhagwat is visiting the US, Canada and the UK as part of the Sangh's centenary-year global outreach programme.

For now, NYC Mayor Mamdani opposes RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's Madison Square event remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.