Pro-Khalistan Sikh demonstrators staged a high-tension protest outside Madison Square Garden in New York City during a diaspora event featuring RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday night. Tensions escalated when protesters tore down and trampled the Indian National Flag while raising slogans against the Indian government and leadership.
The protest, led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel for the outlawed group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), took place alongside demonstrations staged by a coalition of civil rights and interfaith organizations outside the venue. He accused the RSS and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of pushing an ideological agenda to transform India into a Hindu majority nation.
However, members of the Indian diaspora and supporters present at the venue strongly condemned the disrespect shown to the national flag and confronted the protesters, which led to heated arguments between both sides. Some Indian protesters were heard singing Jana Gana Mana and countering Khalistani slogans with pro-India chants.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered his speech amid all this controversy. Addressing over 6,000 members of the Indian-American community and interfaith leaders at the Infosys Theatre inside Madison Square Garden, he highlighted that unity in diversity is in Bharat’s DNA. He spoke about global responsibility and unity, urging that the diaspora should remain loyal to their motherland while staying connected to their roots.
The event, titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ and organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, had faced opposition from several quarters. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had publicly declared his opposition to the event, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had called for Bhagwat’s visa to be revoked, warning that he was “complicit in religious freedom violations”.
Follow Dharmic News for more updates on Hindu community issues and diaspora affairs.
