Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Mamdani Opposes RSS Rally as Kamra Mocks Indian Protest Tactics
Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the RSS, is expected to speak at Madison Square Garden in New York.
About 5,000 people from the Indian diaspora may attend the event.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he does not support the rally.
However, he said the city might not have the legal power to cancel a private gathering.
Comedian Kunal Kamra responded with a joke about how such events are sometimes handled in India.
His five-step joke included asking for police protection and limits on what Bhagwat could say.
It also imagined officials repeatedly postponing the event because they lacked enough police resources.
Kamra has previously had comedy shows moved after protests by Hindutva groups.
Kunal Kamra posted a satirical five-step guide for handling Mohan Bhagwat’s planned New York event.
The comedian mocked procedures involving police protection, speech restrictions, safety concerns and repeated postponements.
Zohran Mamdani said he did not support the August 29 rally but questioned whether New York City could cancel a private event.
Bhagwat is expected to address about 5,000 members of the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden.
Kamra’s satire referenced his own comedy shows being disrupted after protests by Hindutva groups in India.
- Who
- RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and comedian Kunal Kamra are central to the story.
- What
- Bhagwat is expected to address an RSS event, while Mamdani has expressed opposition and Kamra has mocked the situation.
- When
- The event is scheduled for August 29; Bhagwat arrived in the United States earlier in the week.
- Where
- Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- Why
- The event is part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme and is described as part of the Universal Oneness programme.
Opposition and Restrictions
Private Event and Free Expression
Whether the event should proceed
Opposition and Restrictions
Mamdani said he does not support the rally, while Kamra used satire to criticize the way contentious events are sometimes obstructed in India.
Private Event and Free Expression
The gathering is described as a private event linked to an RSS global outreach programme, and Mamdani acknowledged that the city might not have jurisdiction to cancel it.
How authorities should respond
Opposition and Restrictions
Kamra’s mock procedure portrays authorities as using police-resource concerns, speech assurances and repeated postponements to prevent a controversial event.
Private Event and Free Expression
The article does not report that New York officials planned such restrictions; Mamdani’s stated concern was the city’s legal authority over the gathering.
- Scheduled event
- Bhagwat is expected to address an RSS gathering on August 29.
- Venue
- Madison Square Garden, New York City.
- Expected attendance
- Around 5,000 members of the Indian diaspora.
- Mayor’s position
- Mamdani said he does not support the rally.
- Jurisdiction
- Mamdani said he was unsure whether the city could cancel a private event.
- Programme
- The event is linked to the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach and the Universal Oneness programme.
- Kamra’s response
- He posted a satirical five-step guide on X, formerly known as Twitter.