NEW YORK, NY — As Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat arrives in the United States for a high-profile address, the Sikh Coalition and a network of interfaith allies are spearheading a campaign to push back against the organization’s growing presence.
Bhagwat is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Saturday, August 29, at Madison Square Garden during a “Universal Oneness” event hosted by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum. In response, the Sikh Coalition has mobilized alongside advocacy groups such as Hindus for Human Rights and the multiracial, anti-caste Savera Coalition to firmly protest the gathering.
In a coordinated push for accountability, the Sikh Coalition recently submitted a letter to senior officials at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The organization is urging the Biden-Harris administration to adopt recommendations made by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to levy targeted sanctions and travel bans against the RSS. The RSS, an Indian paramilitary volunteer organization, is widely recognized as the ideological backbone of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The advocacy efforts closely follow USCIRF’s 2026 Annual Report, which explicitly cited the RSS as a danger to religious liberty in India. Earlier this week, USCIRF escalated its stance by issuing a formal statement that called on the U.S. government to consider revoking Bhagwat’s visa and making him ineligible for future entry, citing the RSS’s alleged complicity in violence against religious minorities. The Indian government has strongly pushed back against USCIRF’s assertions; the Ministry of External Affairs recently dismissed the federal commission as “biased,” accusing it of consistently presenting a “distorted and selective” picture of the country.
The Sikh Coalition has repeatedly raised alarms regarding the RSS’s international reach, previously calling out the organization’s malign influence in a 2025 op-ed regarding an alleged unregistered lobbying effort targeting the U.S. Congress. Over the past several weeks, demonstrators from various Muslim, Sikh, Dalit, and civil rights organizations have organized an interfaith press conference in New York City to denounce Bhagwat’s appearance. Critics argue that the RSS’s exclusionary Hindutva ideology fundamentally contradicts the stated Madison Square Garden theme of “universal oneness”.
Security Concerns and Transnational Repression
Against the backdrop of the RSS leader’s multi-country centenary tour, the Sikh Coalition has also issued a security advisory to its community members. Citing alarming news reports that Sikh activists in North America are receiving fresh “duty to warn” notices from the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the organization has urged the sangat (Sikh congregation) to remain vigilant.
The Coalition has advised any community members who believe they are under threat of transnational repression to immediately contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI currently offers resources in Punjabi to assist targeted individuals, including a public service announcement released in January 2024.
While opposition mounts outside the venue, RSS representatives have publicly defended the New York gathering, describing it as an inclusive interfaith forum designed to foster open dialogue and mutual respect among diverse cultural communities. Concurrently, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has issued an advisory to event attendees, urging them to remain situationally aware and civil amid the anticipated protests.
