New Delhi: BJP leaders Wednesday criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his remarks concerning an upcoming RSS event in the city, with BJP leader and Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli saying that opposing the event was inconsistent with Mamdani’s stated position on pluralism.
Kohli said that if Mamdani advocates pluralism, he should not object to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat holding a rally in New York.
“I saw what Mamdani said in the media. On one hand, he is talking about pluralism and making big statements about it, while on the other hand, he is saying that Mohan Bhagwat’s rally should not take place and is opposing it,” Kohli said.
“If he is talking about pluralism, he should have no problem with Mohan Bhagwat holding a rally. You cannot talk about pluralism while taking a position that is completely contrary to it,” he added.
Mamdani had earlier said he did not support the rally but was unsure whether the city had jurisdiction to cancel a private event.
Kohli’s remarks came amid a political debate over Bhagwat’s proposed US visit and an RSS-related event in New York, with BJP leaders defending the organisation’s activities and questioning opposition to the gathering.
In Mumbai, BJP MLA Ram Kadam said people should listen to Bhagwat’s views before drawing conclusions about the RSS or its ideology.
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“For people of Indian origin living abroad, if they draw conclusions without actually listening to the revered Sarsanghchalak, what kind of ideology does that reflect?” Kadam said.
He said Bhagwat was working to restore India’s past glory and promote the ideology of Sanatan Hindu Dharma and Hindutva globally.
“It makes no difference whether Zohran Mamdani attends or not. There are many people there who are very eager to hear the Sarsanghchalak speak,” Kadam said.
BJP MP Ghulam Ali Khatana suggested that Mamdani’s remarks could have been made keeping local political considerations in mind.
“They might have issued that statement for their own local political consumption. Otherwise, the RSS is one of the world’s most disciplined organisations, working for the health and well-being of millions of people,” Khatana said.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Saugata Roy took a different view, saying the issue would ultimately be decided by New York’s city authorities.
“He is the mayor of a major city, and he has to decide whether or not to allow it. We will have to see what decision he takes,” Roy said.
He added that New York’s character as a multireligious city would also be relevant to the debate.
“But in a city like New York, which is multireligious, the RSS ideology will not work, so the city authorities will decide,” Roy said.
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