New York, New York – New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday expressed his opposition to an upcoming event featuring the leader of an influential Hindu nationalist group in India.
His opposition was directed at an upcoming speech by Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist group closely associated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The event, set to take place on August 29, is a “Universal Oneness Celebration” touted as a way to bring the Hindu American community together. Bhagwat’s attendance, however, has drawn widespread criticism.
According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, the RSS “has been involved in acts of extreme violence and intolerance against members of minority groups for decades.” The RSS disputes these accusations…