Hindu organizations demand security measures and account restoration on X ahead of Mohan Bhagwat event

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that he does not support the planned event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden. He also noted that the city may lack the legal authority to ban a private gathering.

Mamdani's comments related to issues concerning the RSS, the proposed event, and protests against Bhagwat's appearance.

B. L. Santosh, the National Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for organization, spoke in Bangalore, stating that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) does not require official registration to exist. He emphasized that the organization functions based on the trust of millions of people. These statements were made in response to the demand by Karnataka's Home Minister, Priyanka Harge, for the registration of the RSS.

During the 'Akhand Bharat Sankalp Diwas' event, organized by the Vedic Tradition Hindu Awakening, Santosh noted that the RSS supported Hindus even during the Partition when the organization was not yet registered. He also stated that the very existence of the RSS does not depend on having a registration.

Santosh reminded that India's independence was the result of the sacrifices of thousands of revolutionaries and freedom fighters, not merely acts like the Salt March or spinning the charkha. He recalled the exploits of Madan Lal Dhingra, Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, asserting that freedom was not gifted to India.

He argued that in areas where the proportion of Hindus is decreasing, the sense of attachment to India weakens, and anti-nationalist sentiments begin to emerge. Mentioning the constituencies of Shivajinagar and Chamrajapet in Bangalore, he pointed out that a Hindu candidate from any political party has not won in these areas for two decades.

Santosh insisted that Hindus should live not to defeat any majority group, but to preserve India as such. Linking Pakistan's demand to demographic changes, he stated that the political mobilization of the Muslim League ultimately led to the partition.

B. L. Santosh also mentioned Mallikarjun Harge's family, the opposition leader in Rajya Sabha. He stated that the Harge family left their village and moved to Gulbarga during the Rajakars' attacks in Hyderabad, while RSS activists opposed the Rajakars. However, Harge rejected Santosh's statement about the role of the RSS in the Rajakars' violence during the unification of Hyderabad. Harge called for taking an oath to work for 'Akhand Bharat'. Santosh added that 'Akhand Bharat' is not just an administrative but also a cultural, nationalist dream. He cited the unification of Germany and Vietnam, as well as Israel, to show that the idea of 'Akhand Bharat' is not impossible.

The political situation intensified following the 'Vijay Shankhanad Rally' held on August 8th at Ramlila Maidan in Haldwandi, organized by Congress President Mallikardjan Harge. After Harge's departure, a purification ritual was conducted at the Ramlila Maidan premises, leading to a clash of positions between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The purification ritual was carried out by representatives of Shri Ram Sena Dharmart Seva Nyas. Members of this organization stated that conducting the purifying yagna at the venue where Ramlila performances take place was necessary after Harge's visit, as they consider him an opponent of Hindu and Sanat organizations. They cited past statements by Harge, which they interpreted as anti-Sanat.

However, along with the fire of this yagna, a political battle also flared up. The Dalit affairs faction of the Congress accused the BJP of displaying racist thinking, directing criticism towards the party. The Congress alleged that the purification ritual was organized by individuals associated with the BJP. Party leaders questioned why the need for 'purification' of Ramlila Maidan arose specifically after the Congress rally.

The Congress linked this issue to social respect, noting that on the August 8th rally, Congress President Mallikardjan Harge, regional head Kumari Shailadja, and opposition leader Yashpal Arya were present on stage. In the view of Congress leaders, given their social status, the purification of Ramlila Maidan indicates thinking hostile to Dalits and backward sections of the population.

In response, the Dalit affairs faction of the Congress began a protest action in Buddha Park in Haldwandi on Wednesday, opening a front against the BJP. Congress leaders demanded explanations from the BJP regarding the purification ritual, calling it a symbol of social prejudice.

For its part, Shri Ram Sena Dharmart Seva Nyas rejected the Congress's accusations, asserting that the purpose of the event was not to insult any caste or community. The organization insists that the yagna was conducted precisely because they deemed Harge's past statements anti-Sanat. According to them, performing a purification after a person with anti-Sanat views at a venue related to a religious event is a matter of their religious belief.

The state Congress President, Ganesh Godial, stated that the 'purification' of the stage where Mallikardjan Harge spoke by people associated with the BJP is extremely shameful and unacceptable for democratic India. He called it the culmination of caste discrimination and narrow-mindedness. Godial urged the Neynitali police to conduct an impartial investigation into the matter and ensure strict measures against those found guilty of violating the law, emphasizing that touching and discrimination have no place in modern India. The Congress strongly opposes such divisive mentality within democratic and constitutional frameworks.

Meanwhile, the BJP distanced itself from the dispute. BJP district president Pratap Bisht stated that no BJP official participated in the purification ritual, and the party has no connection to the event. Thus, Ramlila Maidan in Haldwandi has turned into a political arena. On one side, the Congress accuses the BJP of exhibiting anti-Dalit and anti-backward thinking; on the other side, the Hindu organization links it to reverence for Sanats. The BJP claims no involvement in the organization.

The issue now concerns not only the purification of Ramlila Maidan but also the politics in which the religious rite has once again presented the Congress and the BJP with a discussion about caste, Sanat, and political dignity.