Hundreds of people protested outside Madison Square Garden in New York over an event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. Protesters demanded that Bhagwat’s visa be revoked and that sanctions be imposed on the RSS.
The protest was organized by various religious and civil rights organizations, including the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC). Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and City Council member Julie Won also took part in the protest. They criticized the event’s organizers, citing the RSS’s Hindutva ideology and allegations of violence against religious minorities.
Earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had recommended revoking Bhagwat’s visa and imposing targeted sanctions against the RSS. The commission cited allegations of violence against Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Sikhs.
IAMC said 65 American civic and interfaith organizations opposed the event. In addition, more than 1,000 people called on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deny Bhagwat entry into the United States.
The RSS is a Hindu nationalist organization founded in 1925, known as the ideological foundation of India’s Hindutva movement. The organization has long faced allegations of discrimination and violence against minorities.