RSS leader's US appearance sparks protests over Hindu nationalism

The planned appearance of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at a major event in New York has drawn condemnation from faith groups, advocacy organisations and members of India's marginalised communities, who accuse organisers of attempting to improve the image of Hindu nationalism.

Bhagwat is scheduled to speak on Saturday at the Universal Oneness Celebration at Madison Square Garden, an event organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, a nonprofit that says it promotes peace, harmony and the principle that "the world is one family".

Opponents of the event argue that the gathering risks presenting a more benign image of the RSS while overlooking allegations of discrimination and violence against religious minorities in India.

Protests are expected outside the venue, with demonstrators planning to challenge Bhagwat's appearance and the organisation he leads.

"This is a movement that has normalised mob violence against Muslims, attacks on Muslim men in relationships with Hindu women and the bulldozing of Muslim homes," said Safa Ahmed, a Muslim community organiser from North Carolina who travelled to New York to participate in the demonstrations.

Ahmed questioned the organisers' message of unity, arguing that it did not reflect the experiences of minorities in India.

Concerns over international outreach

Critics say Hindu nationalist organisations have increasingly sought to build influence among the estimated 2.5 million Hindus living in the United States.

They argue that cultural events, campaigns highlighting discrimination against Hindus and other forms of outreach have helped present a softer public image of the RSS and the broader Hindu nationalist movement.

Sravya Tadepalli, deputy executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, said her organisation views Bhagwat's appearance as part of an effort to rehabilitate the RSS internationally.

"This is kind of a goodwill tour to improve the public image of the RSS," Tadepalli said, describing the organisation as a paramilitary movement with a long history of communal conflict involving religious minorities.

Supporters of the event, however, have framed it around Hindu heritage, unity and inclusiveness.

The RSS is regarded as the ideological parent organisation of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power since 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Critics of Hindu nationalism have also pointed to connections between sections of the movement and right-wing political groups overseas, particularly around opposition to Islam and what they describe as liberal and secular political elites.

At the 2024 National Conservatism Conference in Washington, BJP Vice President Ram Madhav urged Western conservatives to look to India as an example of how to confront what he described as a combination of left-wing, liberal, Marxist and Islamist forces.

Modi's overseas appeal

Bhagwat's planned appearance also comes amid continuing debate over the international reach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist political movement.

Modi began his political career as an RSS member before rising through the BJP. He has frequently addressed large gatherings of Indians living abroad, including the 2019 "Howdy, Modi!" event in Texas, which attracted an estimated 50,000 people.

Then-US President Donald Trump joined Modi on stage at the rally, highlighting the political influence of the Indian diaspora in the United States.

Modi's international appearances have also faced criticism. Before becoming prime minister, he was denied a US visa over his record as Gujarat chief minister during the 2002 communal violence in the state, when large numbers of Muslims were killed.

Modi has rejected allegations that he was responsible for the violence or failed to act appropriately.

Despite continuing opposition, Modi remains highly popular in India and has consistently ranked among the country's most influential political figures.

Indian diaspora remains divided

Efforts to reshape perceptions of Hindu nationalism in the United States have met resistance within the Indian-American community.

A 2024 survey by the Carnegie Endowment found that Modi retained substantial support among Indian Americans, while 70 percent of respondents also said his rhetoric reflected a growing threat to minorities in India.

Bhagwat's planned New York appearance has further intensified those divisions.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called this week for Bhagwat's visa to be revoked, alleging that he and other RSS members and Indian officials have been complicit in violations of religious freedom.

USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood said religious freedom conditions in India had continued to deteriorate and urged the US government to consider targeted sanctions.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also criticised the RSS and its ideology, describing the rise of what he called an exclusionary political movement as deeply troubling.

Mamdani said he did not support the rally but acknowledged that the city likely lacked the legal authority to cancel a privately organised event.

Ahmed said the opposition demonstrated an increasingly broad coalition within the Indian diaspora, bringing together Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and marginalised-caste communities.

She predicted that Bhagwat's appearance could ultimately strengthen opposition to the RSS rather than its standing in the United States.

"I'm very confident that Bhagwat will be met with a resounding rejection that he is not welcome," she said.