RSS event row: Nana Patole questions Bhagwat's US visit after NYC Mayor Mamdani's opposition

Congress leader Nana Patole on Wednesday questioned RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats visit to the United States after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he did not support an upcoming Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS event at Madison Square GardenPatole also raised questions about the RSSs registration funding and activities He alleged that the organisation was not registered in Maharashtra or elsewhere in India and claimed that its financial operations required greater scrutinySpeaking on the issue Patole said I have repeatedly stated that the organisation which is not registered in Maharashtra nor anywhere else in the country that organisation is operating nationwide under the guise of NGOs They hold bank accounts in 36 countries across the globe There is no audit regarding the source of their funds or how they are utilised indeed they have already been designated as terrorist organizations in New York and across the United States Yet why did Mohan Bhagwat visit that place despite the opposition This has become a matter of scrutinyPatole questions RSS activities and Bhagwats visitPatoles remarks came after Mamdani publicly opposed an RSS event scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New YorkThe Congress leader linked the mayors comments to broader questions about the RSS and its operations He alleged that the organisations registration and funding should be examined while also questioning why Bhagwat proceeded with his US visit despite the opposition to the eventPatoles claim that the RSS has been designated a terrorist organisation in the US was not supported by any evidence in the material provided for the reportPawan Khera also reacts to controversyCongress MP Pawan Khera also commented on the controversy surrounding Bhagwats visit and the criticism of the RSS eventLet them deal with their own opposition Mohan Bhagwat doesnt matter either Let Mohan Bhagwat answer who ordered the use of pellet guns we have no problem with thatwe will accept the answer Khera saidMeanwhile Shiv Sena UBT leader Anand Dubey defended Bhagwats visit and said opposition to the RSS chief was unwarrantedShiv Sena UBT defends Bhagwats US visitDubey said the RSS had a large following and argued that Bhagwat should be treated as an Indian leader visiting another country regardless of political differences within IndiaThe RSS is an organisation that holds the faith of millions of peoplewe too have maintained excellent relations with that organisation If Mohan Bhagwat visits the US or any foreign land and faces opposition there we feel such opposition is unwarranted After all when people from your countries visit ours we never oppose themwhether it is Mamdani or anyone else they must understand that opposing an individual from India is tantamount to challenging the nation itself he saidDubey added We maintain that while we may have countless political differences among ourselves when it comes to the nation and a leader of ours visits another country any attempt to insult them is an insult to us all We have never engaged in such behaviourwe would expect Mamdani to extend the same courtesy and welcome guests as wellMamdani opposes RSS event but questions city authorityMamdanis comments came during a press conference in New York where he said he did not support the RSS event but acknowledged that he was unsure whether the city government had the authority to cancel a privately organised gatheringI dont support the rally but I dont know if the city has any jurisdiction over cancelling a private event Mamdani saidThe mayor also referred to his IndianAmerican background and spoke about the understanding of India that he acquired from his familyNYC mayor cites pluralistic vision of IndiaI also stand here as the first Indian American mayor in our citys history My mothers family is all still in India The vision of India that I was taught by my family and the one that I grew up being very familiar with was of a pluralistic society a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India Mamdani saidHe added 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 not only as an Indian American but also as the mayor of a city that believes deeply in the belonging of each and every person no matter their colour their creed their religion their faith wherever theyre fromMamdanis remarks have added a political dimension to the upcoming RSS event with the mayor making clear his opposition while acknowledging the limits of his authority over a private gatheringBhagwat begins threenation outreach tourBhagwat landed in New York on Tuesday local time marking the first stop of a threenation outreach tour covering the United States Canada and the United KingdomHe was received with a traditional tilak after arriving in New YorkBhagwat is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora at the Universal Oneness Celebrations at Madison Square Garden on August 29The event is linked to the RSSs centenary year and is being held around the period of Raksha BandhanWith inputs from ANI