Why is India’s nationalist RSS holding an event in New York?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the head of India’s Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, is set to speak at an event in New York, drawing attention because critics have called for his visa to be revoked. The segment frames the appearance as part of a broader effort by the organization to widen its influence among audiences in the United States.

The RSS is a long-running Hindu nationalist group that has been a major force in India’s political and ideological landscape. Al Jazeera describes it as controversial, reflecting ongoing debate over its views and role in Indian public life. The New York event underscores how Indian political and cultural movements are increasingly seeking a presence abroad, especially in diaspora communities.

According to the publisher’s report, the key question is not only why the RSS leader is traveling to New York, but why the movement is investing in outreach in the US at this moment. The event comes amid continued scrutiny of Hindu nationalist politics internationally, including concerns raised by opponents about the RSS’s influence and the symbolism of a senior leader speaking in a major American city.

The report is presented as an explainer by Al Jazeera correspondent Ava Warriner and was published on 28 August 2026.