EVEN AS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived in New York on Tuesday to a rousing welcome, his planned appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York City has drawn criticism from some American leaders and civil rights organisations while many others welcomed his global outreach. Bhagwat is on the first leg of his three-nation global outreach tour to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom at the invitation of overseas local organisations as part of its centenary year celebrations. Upon his arrival, he received a cordial welcome with a ‘tilak’. Bhagwat will host one of the largest and most diverse community gatherings, the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations,’ at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday. The event is organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum. Bhagwat’s address at the event is expected to draw significant national and international interest. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said that he does not support the planned event at Madison Square Garden featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Mamdani, however, noted that the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel the “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 here on Tuesday, responding to a question on the RSS chief’s planned event and protests against it. Mamdani is the son of Indian-origin filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani.

 

He took charge as New York City mayor in January. Also several interfaith and civil rights organisations - which include Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council and Interfaith Centre of New York, among others - have opposed Bhagwat’s planned appearance at the MSG and urged the iconic venue to cancel the event. Sikh American leader Jasdip Singh Jassee has welcomed the high-profile visit, saying it offers an opportunity to explain the organisation’s mission and address concerns among minority communities through dialogue. Jassee described the visit as unusually prominent and said Bhagwat’s engagements with the Indian American community had drawn considerable attention. Meanwhile, AfricanAmerican singer and actress Mary Millben on Wednesday slammed critics, especially New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for opposing Bhagwat’s Madison Square Garden (MSG) event. Millben stated that Mamdani and other “socialist nuts” oppose the event due to their opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mary Millben advised Mamdani and “his choir of socialists” to raise money, rent MSG and hold their own rally for their “anti-Modi foolishness.” She also expressed support for the central theme of the event. In India, BJP leaders criticised Mamdani over his remarks concerning an upcoming RSS event in the city, with BJP leader and Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli saying that opposing the event was inconsistent with Mamdani’s stated position on pluralism. Kohli said that if Mamdani advocates pluralism, he should not object to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat holding a rally in New York. In Mumbai, BJP MLA Ram Kadam said people should listen to Bhagwat’s views before drawing conclusions about the RSS or its ideology.