Organisers of Mohan Bhagwat’s US event claim X account was blocked, restored later

An organisation that is slated to host an event in the United States where Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat will speak said on Thursday that its X account was blocked for several hours before being restored.The American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue Forum said that its X account, @AheadForum1, had been “botted” by “misguided opponents” who allegedly tried to manipulate the platform’s algorithm to get the account blocked.“A big thank you to @X @Support for the prompt response, restoring our account and clearing out the bots,” the organisation said.We are back up! 🚀We got “botted” by misguided opponents who tried to game the X algorithm and get our handle blocked.A big thank you to @X @Support for the prompt response, restoring our account and clearing out the bots. Now, back to what really matters: celebrating…— AHEAD Forum (@Aheadforum1) August 27, 2026

Bhagwat arrived in the US on Tuesday to participate in the RSS’ centenary-year global outreach programme. He is scheduled to address around 5,000 Hindu Americans and Hindu non-resident Indians at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.The RSS is the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.The event is facing opposition from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has urged the Donald Trump administration to revoke the visa issued to Bhagwat.The commission said that it was “deeply concerned” about Bhagwat’s visit and alleged that groups associated with the RSS “have perpetrated violent attacks against religious minorities, including Christians, Dalits, Muslims, and Sikhs” in recent years. It also urged the US government to impose sanctions on the RSS.Other organisations criticising the visit include Hindus for Human Rights, Save America from Hindutva, Indian American Muslim Council and Dalit Solidarity Forum, PTI reported.The American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue Forum is a nonprofit organisation working to promote civic engagement among communities in the US, according to its website. The forum’s X account has been posting videos about Bhagwat’s event.Written by Anamika Pathak. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.