‘A Hindu Is Not Hindu If He Wants Muslims Out’: Bhagwat Says at NY's Madison Square Garden

“If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu,” Bhagwat said, stressing that Hindu thought recognises that different religious paths can lead to the same goal and that every human being has dignity.

The remarks came during Bhagwat’s US visit marking the RSS’s centenary year and amid considerable debate over his appearance at the New York venue.

The Madison Square Garden programme, billed as a “Universal Oneness” celebration, brought together thousands of members of the Indian-American community and was presented by organisers as an effort to promote the Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world as one family.

Organisers said registrations had been closed after demand exceeded capacity, with participants expected from dozens of US cities and states.

Batting for diversity, he said diversity is a “decoration” of an underlying unity rather than something that should divide society.

Bhagwat invoked Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s celebrated teaching, “Joto Mat, Toto Path”—meaning as many faiths, so many paths—to underline his argument that different religions may follow different routes while ultimately seeking the same truth.

The reference reinforced his broader message of religious coexistence and mutual respect, suggesting that diversity of belief should not become a source of division, but can instead be understood as different expressions of humanity’s common spiritual quest.

Bhagwat also cited the RSS response to the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision in Haryana, saying RSS volunteers had helped victims and families without distinguishing between Hindus and Muslims. “We never thought at that time that these are Muslims,” he said.

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Bhagwat also cautioned against allowing political and narrow self-interest to overshadow the larger interests of society.

He suggested that political calculations often encourage divisions and competing identities, whereas lasting social harmony cannot be built merely through political power or electoral considerations. For him, the broader goal should be the welfare and unity of society, with individuals and institutions rising above immediate self-interest.

His comments came against the backdrop of criticism of the RSS and his New York visit, including opposition from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and interfaith and civil-rights groups.

Mamdani had described the RSS’s ideology as exclusionary, while organisers of the Madison Square Garden event argued that dialogue and coexistence were central to its message.

Bhagwat’s intervention therefore placed the question of Hindu identity, Hindutva and the rights and place of Muslims at the centre of his high-profile New York appearance — with the RSS chief himself drawing a clear line between Hindu identity and the exclusion of Muslims from India.