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American singer Mary Millben lashed out at critics opposing the upcoming Madison Square Garden (MSG) event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, targeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and accusing opponents of being driven purely by hostility toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Millben took to social media to state, "Mamdani and all these socialist nuts are opposing the Madison Square Garden (MSG) event featuring Mohan Bhagwat because they oppose PM @narendramodi and the @BJP4India. That's pretty clear." https://x.com/MaryMillben/status/2092471945082311025?s=20 Criticising the political ideology of the opponents, the US singer added, "Given these nuts subscribe to the ideology of socialism, they don't understand capitalism. MSG doesn't answer to socialist rants. They answer to capitalism. And thus this event will go on because of it." Offering advice to critics, Millben stated, "My advice to Mamdani and his choir of socialists, become capitalists, raise money, rent MSG, and host your own rally for all your anti-Modi foolishness." The US singer also expressed support for the central theme of the event while calling for constructive dialogue: "Side note, I like the rally title. 'Oneness'. We are ONE family. I hope this rally includes meaningful dialogue on religious freedom in India," she noted. Millben's comments follow remarks by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who stated on Tuesday that he does not support the planned Madison Square Garden event where the RSS chief is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora. However, the Mayor clarified that municipal authorities may lack the legal mandate to prohibit the function, describing it as a private gathering slated for August 29. "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction on cancelling a private event," Mamdani remarked during a press conference when asked whether municipal officials should move to cancel the event. Providing background on his personal heritage, Mamdani noted, "I also stand here as the first Indian-American Mayor in our city's history, and my mother's family is all still in India." Reflecting on his upbringing, the Mayor shared that the perspective of India conveyed by his family was that of "a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India". Expressing his personal stance on global sociopolitical movements, he added, "And it has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly, and so it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to, not only as an Indian-American but also as the Mayor of a city that believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person, no matter their colour, their creed, their religion, their faith, wherever they're from". 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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