RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has arrived in New York as part of a three-nation outreach tour covering the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Bhagwat is scheduled to address the Universal Oneness Celebration at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, an event bringing together 135 Hindu American organisations. The visit has triggered criticism from some Indian Muslim organisations, US religious-freedom advocates and lobby groups, who have accused the organisers of platforming a “far-right Hindu organisation.” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also voiced his opposition to the private event, saying he does not have the power to cancel it but does not support Bhagwat’s visit. The controversy has sparked a wider debate over the RSS, religious freedom, free expression and the Indian diaspora in the US.
