Mohan Bhagwat's Madison Square Garden speech draws NYC protests, sanctions calls

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed about five thousand members of Indian-American and Hindu community organizations at a Madison Square Garden venue in New York. The event, billed as a Universal Oneness Celebration, was organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue and went ahead as scheduled despite significant backlash.

Ahead of the gathering, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom urged Washington to consider revoking Bhagwat’s visa and sanctioning RSS members over alleged religious freedom violations in India. Additionally, various interfaith and civil rights groups—including Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, and the Interfaith Center of New York—held a news conference outside New York City Hall to demand the event’s cancellation.

Protesters also gathered outside the venue during the event. Organizers defended the gathering as a celebration of unity and diaspora engagement, while critics and city leadership raised concerns over the RSS’s ideology and its influence on India’s ruling party.