NEW DELHI: X has blocked the account of American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD), an organisation supporting the upcoming Universal Oneness Celebration in New York featuring RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat. AHEAD has appealed to X for reinstatement.
Operating as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation, AHEAD serves as one of approximately 200-plus supporters backing the multicultural and interfaith celebration in New York through its suspended handle, @Aheadforum1. The event promotes peace, social harmony, mutual understanding, and respect across faiths and communities. Content shared through the organisation’s account has focused on these themes and highlighted participation and support from diverse community and faith leaders.
AHEAD believes the suspension may have occurred in error, maintaining that its communications have consistently promoted universal peace, oneness, harmony, and constructive interfaith and intercultural dialogue in accordance with X’s policies.
A security advisory underscores growing public friction surrounding the event. Adding to the controversy, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), chaired by Asif Mahmood, released a statement alleging deteriorating religious freedom conditions in India and urging the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members, including revoking Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s visa. Vice Chair Cece Heil echoed these sentiments, while the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly dismissed the body as biased and lacking credibility, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal advising that such institutions be ignored.
Meanwhile, US singer and actress Mary Millben strongly criticised detractors, notably Mayor Mamdani, for pushing back against the gathering. Arguing that the opposition stems from animosity towards Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Millben defended the venue choice on capitalist principles and praised the event’s theme of “Oneness”.
The debate follows remarks by Mayor Mamdani, who stated that he does not support the planned Madison Square Garden event. Citing his background as the first Indian-American Mayor in the city’s history and his family’s ties to India, Mamdani expressed deep opposition to what he termed an exclusionary movement, though he clarified that municipal authorities lack the legal mandate to prohibit the private gathering.
Addressing the nature of the programme, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar emphasised that the gathering is an interfaith forum designed for open dialogue and mutual respect, reflecting the inclusive Bharatiya ethos. The event forms part of Mohan Bhagwat’s three-nation global outreach tour to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, organised in celebration of the RSS centenary year.
