CHANDIGARH: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), has issued a security advisory ahead of Bhagwat’s scheduled appearance at the Universal Oneness Celebration in New York on August 29 (Saturday), urging the Hindu-American community to remain vigilant and avoid confrontations, besides calling on Mamdani to protect all attendees.
In a post on X, HAF urged people attending the event to remain alert and avoid confrontations. “HAF is issuing this security alert in advance of the Universal Oneness Celebration at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. Stay vigilant, remain situationally aware, and keep interactions civil. Ahead of the event, activists targeting Hindu Americans have attempted to disrupt and cancel the celebration. We urge @NYCMayor Zohran Mamdani to uphold his sworn duty to protect all New Yorkers, including event attendees, and guarantee everyone’s safety and civil rights.”
The event, organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum, is expected to bring together Hindu-American organisations around themes of shared heritage, unity and interfaith dialogue. Organisers say more than 200 Hindu-American organisations are participating.
Several US-based organisations, including Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council and the Interfaith Center of New York, have opposed Bhagwat's appearance.
The controversy has also drawn attention from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
In a statement issued on August 26, USCIRF expressed concern over Bhagwat's US visit and alleged that religious freedom conditions in India have deteriorated. It called for targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials it says are involved in religious-freedom violations. The RSS has, however, rejected allegations that it promotes intolerance and describes itself as a cultural organisation focused on uniting Hindus.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support the planned event at Madison Square Garden featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora later this week. 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 on Tuesday, responding to a question on the RSS chief’s planned event and protests against it.
Mamdani said he was troubled by what he described as the rise of an “exclusionary vision”. He said the India he grew up familiar with was “a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India.”
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in a statement said the event in New York has been organised in the spirit of open dialogue and invited “anyone interested” in knowing more about the organisation to join the discussion.
The remarks by senior RSS functionary Sunil Ambekar came amid Mamdani's criticism of Bhagwat's participation in the Universal Oneness Celebration at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. “The Universal Oneness Celebration in New York exemplifies an interfaith gathering where RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat ji will communicate with a diverse, multicultural, and multi-faith audience,” Ambekar said.