Mumbai BJP Chief Ameet Satam Criticises NYC Mayor Over Mohan Bhagwat Event Remarks
BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam has hit back at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the mayor publicly opposed a planned event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden.
Satam accused the New York mayor of having a "distorted" and biased understanding of pluralism. Responding to the mayor's statements, the Mumbai BJP chief asserted that India did not need lessons on an "exclusionary vision" from someone he described as "extreme left, radical, separatist" and alleged had sympathy for Umar Khalid.
Satam defended the work of the organisation, stating that institutions such as the RSS were actively engaged in man-making, nation-building, and human service, particularly during times of crisis and disaster, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or gender. He claimed that the mayor's perspective on pluralism was heavily tilted towards one group and line of thinking.
The political row erupted after Mamdani stated during a news conference on Tuesday that he opposed the planned RSS gathering at Madison Square Garden. Mamdani, who described the gathering as a private event, questioned whether New York City possessed the jurisdiction to cancel it. He voiced criticism against what he described as the rise of a movement rooted in an "exclusionary vision", adding that he opposed such approaches as both an Indian-American and as the mayor of a city committed to the belonging of all people regardless of their colour, creed, religion, faith, or place of origin.
Mamdani's comments coincided with a press conference held outside New York City Hall by several interfaith and civil rights organisations opposing Bhagwat's upcoming appearance. The participating groups, which included Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, and the Interfaith Centre of New York, urged the venue to call off the scheduled event.
Bhagwat arrived in the United States on Tuesday as part of the RSS's centenary-year international outreach tour, which encompasses visits to the US, Canada, and the UK. During his stay in New York, the RSS chief is scheduled to participate in the Universal Oneness Celebration and address approximately 5,000 members of the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden on August 29. The programme is being organised by the AHEAD Forum, which stated that the event is designed to promote mutual respect, harmony, and oneness under the message that "the world is one family."
