Mamdani says he opposes RSS rally in New York, but unsure of any jurisdiction to cancel it

NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) upcoming event in the city, though he admitted 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.

During the press conference, Mamdani also spoke about his Indian-American background and his understanding of India. “I also stand here as the first Indian American mayor in our city’s history. My mother’s family is all still in India. The vision of India that I was taught by my family, and the one that I grew up being very familiar with, was of a pluralistic society — a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India”, Mamdani said.

He added, “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”.

#WATCH | RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is set to address the Indian diaspora in New York for the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ at Madison Square Garden on August 29, 2026.

Ahead of the event, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “I also stand here as the first Indian American mayor… pic.twitter.com/MudVcDC83q

— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2026

Mamdani’s comments came as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat landed in New York on Tuesday (local time), the first stop on a three-nation outreach tour covering the US, Canada and the UK. Bhagwat, who was received with a traditional tilak on arrival, is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora at the “Universal Oneness Celebrations” at Madison Square Garden on 29 August –an event tied to the RSS’s centenary year and timed around Raksha Bandhan.

Speaking at an unrelated press briefing on emergency housing court cases, Mamdani was asked directly whether the rally should be cancelled. He said he was opposed to it, but did not believe the city had the authority to intervene in a private event.

The mayor, who is of Indian-American descent through his mother’s family, spoke about growing up with an understanding of India as a pluralistic, secular republic that made room for people of every faith and background. He said the rise of a movement he views as built on an exclusionary idea of the nation was troubling to him — a position he said he held both as someone of Indian heritage and as mayor of a city that prides itself on inclusion regardless of race, religion or origin.

His remarks add a political dimension to a visit that has already drawn diplomatic friction. Days earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) renewed calls for Washington to avoid high-level engagement with RSS leadership and pushed for possible sanctions –a recommendation India’s Ministry of External Affairs has rejected outright.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called USCIRF a “biased” body that has “repeatedly made incorrect and provocative statements about India” and said such assessments should be disregarded.

The AHEAD forum (American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue), which is organising Saturday’s event, has billed it as one of the largest Indian diaspora gatherings in the city, featuring cultural performances and faith leaders alongside Bhagwat’s address. (ANI)