New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed opposition to an upcoming event in Manhattan featuring Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of India's Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The event, called the "Universal Oneness Celebration", is scheduled for August 29 and promotes shared heritage and interfaith unity, but Mamdani has criticized the RSS' history of promoting an exclusionary vision. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, the RSS has been involved in acts of extreme violence against minority groups for decades. The event's organizers claim it will bring together the Hindu American community, but many local organizations have criticized Bhagwat's attendance and the RSS' ties to India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Written by the local model on 2026-08-26,
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Story summary
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim and Indian American, expressed opposition to an upcoming event in Manhattan featuring Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The RSS is the ideological parent of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The event, called the "Universal Oneness Celebration", is scheduled for August 29 and aims to bring together the Hindu American community. Mamdani stated that he didn't support the rally but wasn't sure if the city had jurisdiction to cancel a private event. He expressed concern about the rise of an exclusionary vision in India, which he was taught would be a pluralistic society. The event's organizers claim it is backed by several Hindu organizations and aims to promote engagement and dialogue between communities.
Written for “NYC Event Sparks Controversy” on 2026-08-31,
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Leaning score -0.60 for article 2519 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-27
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Tuesday he did not support an upcoming event in his city featuring the leader of the Hindu nationalist group that is the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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that → say → Party
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is scheduled to speak at a Manhattan event on Saturday, according to the event’s website.
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Bhagwat → schedule → website
“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mamdani, who is the first Muslim and Indian American mayor of New York City, said when asked if the event should be cancelled.
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event → support → City
“The vision of India that I was taught by my family and one that I grew up being very familiar with was of a pluralistic society of a secular Republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India.
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who → teach → India
And it has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision.
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that → see → vision
The event’s website casts the August 29 gathering as the “Universal Oneness Celebration” bringing together the Hindu American community.
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website → cast → community
The organisers, American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, say the event is backed by several Hindu American groups and promotes shared heritage and interfaith unity.
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event → say → heritage
Many local organisations have criticised it over Bhagwat’s attendance and the RSS’ history.
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organisations → criticise → attendance
The RSS, a powerful Hindu group from which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP emerged, said in May it had organised foreign visits, including to the US, to counter perceptions it is a paramilitary outfit involved in attacks on minority communities.
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it → emerge → communities
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom says the RSS “has been involved in acts of extreme violence and intolerance against members of minority groups for decades”.
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RSS → say → decades
The RSS disputes intolerance accusations and says it is a “Hindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement” whose goal is to “carry the nation to the pinnacle of glory”, including by uniting Hindus.
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goal → dispute → Hindus
United Nations and human rights groups say abuse of Indian minorities has risen in recent years, pointing to rising hate speeches, a religion-based citizenship law, the demolition of Muslim-owned properties, the removal of occupied Kashmir’s autonomy and an anti-conversion legislation that challenges freedom of belief.
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that → say → belief
The BJP-led Indian government denies being discriminatory and says its policies, including food subsidy programmes and electrification drives, benefit all communities.
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policies → lead → communities
