India
oi-Ashish Rana
Images of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has been displayed on prominent Times Square billboard on Friday. This is interesting as he is supposed to address to Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s US visit for the organization’s centenary outreach featured a Times Square billboard display and a Saturday address to 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden, an event themed ‘Universal Oneness’ that drew criticism from some groups and officials.
Mohan Bhagwat is currently on US visit as a part of RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme. He will also visit UK and Canada.
RSS Chief to Address 5,000 People at MSG
In the US, Bhagwat is scheduled to address a gathering of around 5,000 people at the iconic Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The event, titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’, is organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD). The organisation has described the event as a “landmark Raksha Bandhan gathering”.
Through cultural presentations and keynote addresses, the event will explore the theme of universal oneness and the Hindu principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, meaning the world is one family, the organisers said.
VIDEO | New York: Poster featuring RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat displayed on billboard in Times Square.
(Source: RSS)
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/SOpm9k238b
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 29, 2026
‘Resolve, Harmony and Dialogue’ Displayed
Ahead of the MSG event, images of Bhagwat with the words “Resolve, Harmony and Dialogue” were projected on one of the main billboards in Times Square on Friday evening.
Several members of the Indian-American community posed in Times Square as Bhagwat’s photos appeared on the billboard.
Planned Event Draws Criticism
Bhagwat’s planned appearance at Madison Square Garden has drawn criticism from several civil rights organisations.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support the planned event at Madison Square Garden featuring the RSS chief. Mamdani, however, noted that the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel the “private” event.
During his US visit, Bhagwat has held meetings and discussions with members of the diaspora, Indian-American business executives and community leaders.
The RSS chief also visited the Bhakti Centre in New York and paid tributes to Indian spiritual leader Srila A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
(With Inputs From PTI)
