New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has opposed an upcoming event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden. However, Mamdani said the city may not have the legal authority to stop a privately organised programme. Bhagwat will address around 5,000 members of the Indian diaspora in New York on August 29. The event, called the “Universal Oneness Celebration”, will mark the RSS's 100th anniversary. The American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (Ahead) Forum is organising the programme.

Mamdani speaks against the event

Mamdani spoke about the event at a news conference on Tuesday. His comments came after civil rights and interfaith groups urged City Hall and Madison Square Garden to stop the gathering. “I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction over cancelling a private event,” Mamdani told reporters. The mayor also explained his personal view of India and its identity. He said his family taught him to see India as a pluralistic and secular country. “The vision of India that I was taught by my family, and the one that I grew up being very familiar with, was of a pluralistic society—a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India,” he said. Mamdani said he strongly disagrees with what he called an “exclusionary vision” of India. He also connected his position to his role as New York mayor. “It is one that I find myself in deep opposition to, not only as an Indian-American, but also as the mayor of a city that believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person, no matter their color, their creed, their religion, [or] their faith,” Mamdani said.

Groups call for cancellation

Mamdani made the comments after several organisations protested outside New York City Hall. The coalition includes Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council and the Interfaith Center of New York. The groups want city officials and Madison Square Garden management to cancel the event. The organisations have raised concerns about the RSS and its ideology. They argue that Bhagwat's appearance at one of New York's most prominent venues could give the organisation greater public visibility. The groups have also urged authorities to consider the wider implications of hosting the RSS chief in New York.

Organisers defend the programme

The Ahead Forum has rejected the criticism. Organisers say the event promotes unity, harmony and dialogue. The group said the programme draws inspiration from the Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The phrase is commonly translated as “the world is one family”. Organisers say the gathering will promote mutual respect and stronger ties between people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. The disagreement has now turned the event into a wider debate. It has raised questions about free expression, political ideology and how Indian diaspora communities represent different views in the United States.

Bhagwat arrives in New York

Bhagwat has already arrived in New York. Members of the Ahead Forum and representatives of the Indian-American community welcomed him at John F Kennedy International Airport. Community members received him through a traditional welcome ceremony. Organisers applied a tilak mark to his forehead and used kumkum and unbroken rice grains, known as akshat. Volunteers also presented him with garlands. The New York event is the first stop on Bhagwat's international tour. His trip will also take him to Canada and the United Kingdom. The controversy over his Madison Square Garden appearance is likely to continue as August 29 approaches. At present, Mamdani has made clear that he opposes the event but has also acknowledged the legal limits on the city's ability to cancel a private gathering.