A large coalition of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Dalit and civil-rights groups demonstrated outside Madison Square Garden in New York this week during an appearance by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at an event promoting “Universal Oneness”.

Protesters accused RSS of advancing a Hindu majoritarian vision of India and alleged that the organisation has been associated with violence and discrimination against religious minorities.

They said the event’s message of universal brotherhood was at odds with what they described as the RSS’s record and ideology.

Thousands of people attended the “Universal Oneness Celebration” inside the venue.

The event was organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue and was presented as a celebration of Hindu culture and the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning “the world as one family”.

The protest was held under the banner “Hindus Say No to the RSS”, with organisers calling for a secular and interfaith India.

The coalition said the RSS’s Hindu nationalist outlook poses a threat to Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and others whom it said fall outside the organisation’s conception of the Indian nation.

Sravya Tadepalli of Hindus for Human Rights said before the event that Bhagwat’s appearance amounted to “a goodwill tour to improve the public image of the RSS”.

She described the organisation as a “fascist paramilitary organisation” and accused it of being linked to decades of communal violence against minorities.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani also opposed the event, saying the growth of what he described as an exclusionary vision of India was deeply troubling.

He said the city might not have the legal authority to prevent a privately organised gathering.

The controversy extended to Washington, where the US Commission on International Religious Freedom called for Bhagwat’s visa to be revoked.

The commission also urged the Trump administration to consider targeted sanctions, which are specific penalties imposed on designated individuals or entities, against RSS members and Indian officials.