The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) on Thursday issued a security advisory ahead of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ at Madison Square Garden, urging New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to “uphold his sworn duty” to protect all New Yorkers, including event attendees.
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.”
In a post on X, HAF said, “COMMUNITY ADVISORY ALERT!
We urge the U.S. government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat and making him ineligible for future entry into the United States. For years, it has made incorrect and provocative statements about India. We should ignore such institutions, as they have their own agendas and lack credibility.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had strongly condemned USCIRF’s call during an August 21 briefing, dismissing the body as biased and lacking credibility. However, he said municipal authorities may not have the legal authority to cancel the private gathering scheduled for August 29.
Chaired by Pakistani-American Asif Mahmood, the body said, “Religious freedom conditions in India continue to deteriorate as violence and incitement are frequently used to target religious minority communities. USCIRF Vice Chair Cece Heil said, “The U.S. government has an opportunity to hold India accountable and signal that the United States stands for religious freedom for the people of India. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We all know this is a biased institution. Asked whether the city should move to cancel the event, Mamdani said, “I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event.”
The development comes amid criticism from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which on Wednesday alleged that religious freedom conditions in India were deteriorating and called on the US government to consider sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials. Mamdani said at a news conference on Tuesday that he did not support the planned Madison Square Garden event featuring Bhagwat.
