New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday he does not support an upcoming event featuring Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), though he acknowledged the city likely has no power to stop it.
Bhagwat is scheduled to speak Saturday at Madison Square Garden as part of what organizers are calling the "Universal Oneness Celebration," an event expected to draw around 5,000 attendees, local media reported. It is part of a broader global outreach tour tied to the RSS's centenary year, wherein Bhagwat is visiting the United States, Canada and the UK.
What did Mamdani say?
When asked whether the event should be canceled at a press conference, Mamdani said: "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on canceling a private event."
Mamdani is the first Muslim and Indian American mayor in New York City's history. He added that his opposition to the visit reflected his role leading a city that believes in "the belonging of each and every person, no matter their color, their creed, their religion, their faith, wherever they're from."
