Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Mohan Bhagwat Visit Triggers US Pledge Rejecting RSS-Linked Donations
Ninety politicians in the United States signed a promise about campaign donations.
They said they would not accept money connected to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, also called the RSS.
The promise came after RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat spoke at an event in New York City.
Supporters say the RSS should not influence American elections and that the pledge supports democracy.
It also asks politicians to reject political violence and intimidation.
Some signers said earlier donations should be returned or given to democracy-supporting groups.
Hindu American organizations disagreed with the pledge.
They said it unfairly singles out Hindu Americans and questions their loyalty.
The groups behind the pledge said it responds to concerns about Hindu nationalism and democracy.
Ninety US politicians pledged to reject donations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS.
The pledge was announced August 31 after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke in New York on August 29.
Signatories include Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Robin Kelly, and Abdul El-Sayed.
The pledge calls for rejecting political intimidation and returning or redirecting previously accepted RSS-linked funds.
Hindu American advocacy groups called the initiative discriminatory and said it unfairly targets Hindu American donors.
- Who
- Ninety US politicians and candidates, including Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Robin Kelly, and Abdul El-Sayed, signed the pledge; it was organized by Hindus for Human Rights Action and SACRED Acts.
- What
- A pledge was launched to reject political donations from people or organizations associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and to address political violence and intimidation.
- When
- The pledge was announced August 31, following Mohan Bhagwat’s August 29 appearance in New York.
- Where
- The pledge involves politicians in eight US states; Bhagwat spoke at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- Why
- Organizers said the pledge responds to concerns about the RSS’s influence, democracy, religious minorities, and political violence; critics said it unfairly targets Hindu American donors.
Pledge Supporters
Pledge Critics
RSS political influence
Pledge Supporters
Supporters say the RSS should not influence US elections and describe the pledge as a stand for democracy, pluralism, and opposition to political violence.
Pledge Critics
Critics say the initiative unfairly singles out Hindu American donors and imposes a loyalty test based on presumed ties to a foreign organization.
Treatment of Hindu Americans
Pledge Supporters
Hindus for Human Rights Action and SACRED Acts frame the campaign as opposition to Hindu nationalism and alleged links between extremist movements and political activity.
Pledge Critics
The Hindu American Political Action Group and the Hindu American Foundation say the campaign targets Hindu Americans and is discriminatory, with Suhag A. Shukla calling it un-American.
Scope of support
Pledge Supporters
The organizers said the signatories included elected officials and candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties at federal, state, and local levels.
Pledge Critics
The Hindu American Foundation’s Suhag A. Shukla said nearly 100 candidates had signed and characterized them as Democrats, creating a differing account of the coalition’s political makeup.
- Pledge signatories
- 90 US politicians and candidates
- Organizing groups
- Hindus for Human Rights Action and the South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy Acts
- RSS event
- Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Universal Oneness Celebration at Madison Square Garden on August 29
- Announcement date
- August 31
- Geographic reach
- Signatories from eight US states
- Donation policy
- Reject future RSS-linked contributions and return or redirect previously accepted funds
- Critics
- The Hindu American Political Action Group and the Hindu American Foundation called the pledge discriminatory or un-American