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BJP MP Yogender Chandolia on Wednesday defended the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani opposed an upcoming event involving RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, saying the Mayor himself had acknowledged that there were no rules under which a privately organised gathering could be cancelled.
Speaking to ANI, Chandolia said, "Some people are commenting on Mohan Bhagwat's US visit. The NYC mayor has no relations with the RSS, and he has accepted that there are no rules under which the event could be cancelled. Mohan Bhagwat is a big leader of a social organization." BJP MP Bhola Singh also came out in support of the RSS, saying those who did not understand the organisation were making "incorrect and baseless statements". He highlighted the RSS's long-standing involvement in social service and nation-building. "Those who do not know about the RSS or lack an understanding of it make such incorrect and baseless statements. The RSS has been continuously engaged in social service and nation-building for a very long time. Making such statements changes nothing. We may have come to power in 2014, but the RSS have been working for a very long time. No one has the right to question our commitment to social service," Singh told ANI. The leaders' remarks came after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he did not support the RSS's upcoming event in the city, while admitting that he was uncertain whether the municipal administration had any jurisdiction to cancel a privately organised gathering. "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction over cancelling a private event," Mamdani said during a press conference. The political discourse comes amid the arrival of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in New York on Tuesday for the first leg of his three-nation global outreach tour to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, organised at the invitation of overseas local groups as part of the RSS's centenary year celebrations. Upon his arrival, Bhagwat received a traditional welcome with a 'tilak'.During his schedule in New York, Bhagwat will host one of the largest and most diverse community gatherings, the 'Universal Oneness Celebrations', at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum, Bhagwat's address at the event is expected to draw significant national and international interest. The event will mark the traditional observance of the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan with a modern message centred on unity, civic duty, and global harmony. Organisers said the gathering will feature cultural performances coinciding with the theme of the day, alongside addresses by prominent faith-based speakers. (ANI)
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