New York: Images of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat were projected on billboards in the heart of Times Square ahead of his address to members of the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden here.
Bhagwat arrived in the US on Tuesday as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) centenary-year global outreach programme. His outreach tour also includes Canada and the UK.
In the US, he is scheduled to address a gathering of around 5,000 people at the iconic Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The event, titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’, is organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD).
The organisation has described the event as a “landmark Raksha Bandhan gathering”.
Through cultural presentations and keynote addresses, the event will explore the theme of universal oneness and the Hindu principle of ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’ — the world is one family, the organisers said.
Ahead of the MSG event, images of Bhagwat, with headings of words “Resolve, Harmony and Dialogue” were projected on one of the main billboards in Times Square on Friday evening.
Several members of the India-American community posed in Times Square as Bhagwat’s photos appeared on the billboard.
Bhagwat’s planned appearance at the Madison Square Garden has drawn criticism from several civil rights organisations.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support the planned event at Madison Square Garden featuring the RSS chief.
Mamdani, however, noted that the city may not have jurisdiction to cancel the “private” event.
In the US, Bhagwat has held meetings and discussions with members of the diaspora, Indian-American business executives and community leaders.
The RSS chief visited the Bhakti Centre in New York and also paid tributes to Indian spiritual leader Srila A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
