New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has criticised an event featuring a leader of India’s Hindu nationalist organisation, citing concerns over the group’s ideology.
WEB DESK: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has criticised an upcoming event featuring a leader of India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying he opposes the organisation’s ideology and its presence at the New York gathering.
The event has sparked debate among members of New York’s Indian American community and comes as Mamdani campaigns for mayor of the country’s largest city.
Mamdani criticises RSS-linked event
Mamdani said he was opposed to the planned appearance of Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the RSS, at an event in New York.
The RSS is a Hindu nationalist organisation that has played a major role in India’s political and social landscape for decades.
Bhagwat has been scheduled to appear at an event organised by supporters and members of the Indian diaspora.
Mamdani’s criticism reflects his broader opposition to what he describes as Hindu nationalist ideology.
What is the RSS?
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, commonly known as the RSS, is one of India’s largest Hindu nationalist organisations.
Founded in 1925, the organisation describes itself as a cultural and social organisation focused on strengthening Hindu society.
Critics, however, accuse the RSS of promoting a form of Hindu nationalism that marginalises India’s religious minorities.
The organisation has long been associated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although the RSS and BJP are separate organisations.
Mamdani’s comments
Mamdani said New York should remain a city where people can express political and religious views, but argued that this should not prevent elected officials from condemning ideologies they oppose.
His criticism has drawn attention because of his own South Asian heritage and his political profile in New York.
Mamdani has previously spoken about issues involving India, Muslims and civil liberties, making his comments on the RSS particularly significant among voters with ties to South Asia.
Event sparks debate in New York
The planned event has generated debate over the balance between free expression and criticism of political movements.
Supporters of the event argue that members of the Indian diaspora should be able to invite political and cultural figures to New York.
Critics say public officials have a responsibility to challenge ideologies they consider discriminatory or harmful to minority communities.
The disagreement comes amid wider debates in New York over international politics, diaspora communities and the role of foreign political movements in US civic life.
India-US political sensitivities
The controversy also highlights the increasingly prominent role of Indian American voters in US politics.
India and the United States maintain close diplomatic, economic and strategic ties, while political debates surrounding Hindu nationalism have increasingly entered discussions within Indian diaspora communities in the US.
New York, with one of the largest and most diverse Indian-origin populations in the United States, has become an important venue for these debates.
Mamdani’s mayoral campaign
Mamdani is seeking to lead New York City and has built his campaign around issues including affordability, housing, public services and economic inequality.
His positions on international issues have also attracted considerable attention.
The RSS controversy adds another foreign-policy and diaspora-related issue to an already closely watched mayoral campaign.
