Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Bhagwat Promotes Hindu-Muslim Oneness Amid New York Protests
Thousands of people went to New York to hear Mohan Bhagwat speak.
Bhagwat leads the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an organization connected ideologically to India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The event was called the Universal Oneness Celebration.
Bhagwat said people of different religions, cultures, and backgrounds should live together with dignity.
Supporters cheered him and said the event was about India and unity.
Protesters said the RSS has been linked to hostility and violence against religious minorities.
Some New York politicians and rights groups also objected to giving Bhagwat a major public platform.
A religious-freedom commission urged the United States government to revoke his visa, but he stayed in the country.
The event organizers said they supported engagement and dialogue, while critics questioned whether they were closely connected to the RSS’s overseas network.
More than 5,000 Indian-origin attendees gathered at Madison Square Garden for Mohan Bhagwat’s Universal Oneness Celebration.
Protesters accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party of fostering hostility and violence toward religious minorities.
Bhagwat said Hinduism requires accepting human dignity and recognizing that different paths lead to the same goal.
New York officials, civil-rights groups, and a United States religious-freedom commission criticized or opposed the event.
Organizers presented the gathering as a dialogue on unity, while investigators questioned its independence from the RSS’s American network.
- Who
- Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, addressed Indian-origin attendees, faith leaders, supporters, and protesters.
- What
- The Universal Oneness Celebration featured interfaith speakers and a speech by Bhagwat on unity in diversity.
- When
- The event took place on August 29, with the article describing it as a Saturday event; the year was not specified.
- Where
- Madison Square Garden in New York, with related criticism and demonstrations elsewhere in the city and the United States.
- Why
- Organizers said the event promoted dialogue and the idea that the world is one family, while opponents protested Bhagwat’s appearance because of the RSS’s alleged record concerning religious minorities.
Supporters and Organizers
Protesters and Critics
Meaning of the event
Supporters and Organizers
Supporters and organizers described the celebration as an effort to promote universal oneness, interfaith dialogue, and the idea that the world is one family.
Protesters and Critics
Protesters argued that the event gave a prominent platform to a movement they associate with exclusion, persecution, and violence against religious minorities.
Bhagwat’s message
Supporters and Organizers
Bhagwat said Hinduism requires accepting Muslims and others as part of a diverse society, and that all paths can lead to the same goal.
Protesters and Critics
Critics pointed to Bhagwat’s 2018 speech calling on Hindus to come together and said it contrasted with his newer emphasis on oneness.
Organizer independence
Supporters and Organizers
American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue presented itself as an independent nonprofit focused on engagement among American Hindus and other communities.
Protesters and Critics
Savera investigations questioned whether the group was connected to the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and the broader overseas infrastructure of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
- Attendance
- More than 5,000 people of Indian origin attended.
- Event
- Universal Oneness Celebration.
- Main speaker
- Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
- Central message
- Bhagwat described India as embodying oneness in diversity and said all people have dignity.
- Faith leaders
- About 48 faith leaders were invited to the stage, including a rabbi, an imam, and a reverend.
- External criticism
- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom urged the Trump administration to consider revoking Bhagwat’s visa and imposing targeted sanctions.
- Organizing group
- The event was organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, a nonprofit established in 2025.