New York Mayor Mamdani opposes RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Madison Square Garden event

Mangalore Today News Network

New York, Aug 26, 2026: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday said he does not support the planned August 29 event at Madison Square Garden where Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora.

However, Mamdani said the city may not have the jurisdiction to cancel what he described as a private event.

“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mamdani said at a press conference.

Bhagwat arrived in the US earlier in the day as part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme. During his visit to New York, he is scheduled to participate in the Universal Oneness programme and address around 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden on August 29.

Responding to questions about the RSS event and protests against it, Mamdani said the vision of India he grew up with was that of “a pluralistic society” and “a secular republic” where everyone belongs.

He said he was deeply troubled by the rise of movements based on an exclusionary vision, adding that he opposed such a vision both as an Indian-American and as the mayor of a city that believes in the inclusion of people irrespective of their colour, creed, religion or faith.

Meanwhile, several interfaith and civil rights organisations held a press conference outside New York City Hall opposing Bhagwat’s appearance at MSG and urged the venue to cancel the event. The groups included Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council and the Interfaith Centre of New York.

The Universal Oneness Celebration, organised by AHEAD Forum, said Bhagwat would attend the event in New York on August 29. It said the programme would convey the message that “the world is one family” and promote mutual respect, harmony and unity.

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