New York, August 26: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support the planned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event at Madison Square Garden, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora on August 29.
Mamdani, speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, said he opposed the event but questioned whether the city had the authority to cancel a private gathering.
“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mamdani said.
Bhagwat arrived in the United States as part of the RSS’s centenary year global outreach programme. During his New York visit, he is scheduled to participate in the Universal Oneness programme and address around 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden.
Mamdani Says He Is Deeply Opposed to RSS
Responding to questions about the RSS and the planned event, Mamdani said he was deeply opposed to the organisation and its ideology.
He described the RSS as a movement based on what he called an “exclusionary vision” of a country. He said this was contrary to his vision of India as a pluralistic and secular republic.
Mamdani also referred to his Indian-American identity and said his mother’s family continues to live in India. He said his understanding of India was based on the principle that every person belonging to the country should have a place in its society.
The mayor said his opposition to the RSS was based both on his identity as an Indian-American and his position as the mayor of New York City.
He also linked his position to New York’s broader commitment to inclusion, saying the city should belong to people regardless of their colour, religion, faith or background.
The planned Bhagwat event has drawn attention because of the RSS’s centenary celebrations and its outreach to the Indian diaspora in the United States. However, Mamdani’s remarks focused primarily on his opposition to the organisation rather than the city’s legal authority over the privately organised event.
With the programme scheduled for August 29, questions remain over whether any municipal action can be taken against the private gathering. Mamdani acknowledged that the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel the event.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
