How Zohran Mamdani ended up in a fight over Hindu nationalism

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and state Attorney General Letitia James at a press conference on August 12, 2026, in New York City. | Selcu Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images On Tuesday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about an upcoming appearance by Mohan Bhagwat, a leader of a Hindu nationalist organization, at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

“I don’t support the rally, but I don’t know if the city has any jurisdiction on canceling a private event,” he said at a press conference.

“It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision of any country, frankly, and so it is one that I find myself in deep opposition to.” His statement has led to a flurry of controversy and allegations that Mamdani is “Hinduphobic,” biased toward Muslims, and picking a fight with another religious and ethnic group.

The mayor has continued to make headlines this year for his vocal criticism of Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading to tensions with Jewish leaders and communities in New York.

First the Jews.

Then the Italians.

Now Hindus.

Zohran Mamdani has found yet another New York community to target, opposing a Hindu celebration at Madison Square Garden because he objects to its politics.

The mayor of America’s most diverse city seems determined to divide it one… — Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) August 26, 2026 But Mamdani was far from the only critic of the event; other Hindu, Muslim, interfaith, and human rights activists protested the event and demanded it be canceled this week.

What’s actually going on here? Bhagwat is the leader of the Indian organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (or RSS for short), a Hindu nationalist group affiliated with India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Bhagwat is not a politician or an officeholder in India, but is frequently described as being one of the most influential men in that country, primarily because of his role in leading RSS, which describes itself as a “Hindu-centric civilisational, cultural movement.” Yet plenty of activists, academics, experts, and critics contest that description of RSS, instead casting it as a right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization, accused of fueling intolerance, endorsing discrimination, or inciting violence against minorities in the subcontinent, particularly Muslims — essentially promoting an ideology that “amounts to ‘an Indian version of fascism,’” as one India scholar told my colleague Zack Beauchamp in 2023.

And one of the most vocal recent critics is Mamdani, who is himself Muslim and of Hindu descent on his mother’s side.