Ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s rally in New York City this week, mayor Zohran Mamdani said that it was “incredibly troubling” to see the rise of a movement in India that was based on what he called an “exclusionary vision”.
Members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also called for the US government not to extend diplomatic courtesies to Bhagwat and to place sanctions on the RSS. Earlier reporting noted: NYC Mayor Mamdani opposes RSS chief Bhagwat’s Madison Square event New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) said he does not support the planned event at Madison Square Garden where Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will address members of the Indian diaspora.
Modi’s right wing regime has gone even further down the road of authoritarianism than Trump, and it is the responsibility of socialists to take a stand against it,” said former Seattle city council member Kshama Sawant on X, who is running for election to the US House of Representatives. Earlier reporting noted: However, he said the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel the “private” event, which is scheduled for August 29. Earlier reporting noted: “I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event,” Mr. Mamdani said at a news conference in New York.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mamdani stressed his opposition to the rally but pointed out that the city’s government likely did not have the jurisdiction to cancel a private event.
“It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly. Mamdani’s statement follows calls among some activists and political figures from the progressive left calling for the Mayor to cancel Bhagwat’s rally at Madison Square Garden .
So it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to,” he said, adding that New York was a city that belonged to residents of every colour or faith.
