Mohan Bhagwat's New York Event Tied to RSS Through AHEAD Forum

New Delhi, India Aug 29, 2026 ALN: (The Quint has consistently done in-depth reports on right-wing politics and networks. Help us do more such stories by becoming a member.)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was hosted on Saturday, August 29, for a grand event titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ at Madison Square Garden in New York. Officially, Bhagwat was welcomed by a new and relatively obscure organization called American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD).

AHEAD describes itself on its website as a non-profit with a “non-partisan approach,” aiming to build “an inclusive future” with a focus on “interfaith dialogue.” However, the website does not mention any ties to the RSS, nor does it disclose connections to the right-wing nationalist organization. A closer examination of AHEAD's founding reveals significant links to the RSS.

The RSS has repeatedly claimed that it “works only in Bharat (India)” and does not control any foreign entities.

AHEAD was incorporated in May 2025 and achieved tax-exempt status by September. Registration records show that its incorporating agent is Khanderao Kand.

Who is Khanderao Kand?

Kand is the founder and president of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a non-profit that frequently organizes events to “strengthen US-India relations.” Recently, it hosted External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the US Capitol. FIIDS previously co-sponsored a trip for a Washington Post columnist to the RSS centenary celebrations in Nagpur, Maharashtra, last year. Kand has been described as having been “intimately associated with the RSS for most of his life” and played a role in hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2015 visit to the US.

In addition to his involvement with the RSS, Kand has served as an office bearer in the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), which is often regarded as the RSS’s international wing, despite its claims of independence. HSS has previously hosted Bhagwat at various events. Reports indicate that Kand has been involved in strategizing for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during past elections in India. He welcomed PM Modi in New York as recently as September 2024, sharing photos with BJP leaders on social media.

In March of this year, Kand ceased to be AHEAD’s principal incorporating agent, with Harish Kandpal taking over. Kandpal is also associated with FIIDS.

AHEAD's tax filings list three directors: Sudesh Agrawal, Naresh Rajanna, and Rasita Vishnuram. Vishnuram is a Senior Fellow for the Viksit Bharat Fellowship at the BlueKraft Digital Foundation, a pro-Modi digital communications platform run by BJP functionary Hitesh Jain. The fellowship was launched on Modi’s birthday in 2024 to encourage experts to contribute to a narrative about India.

The Quint has reached out to Kand, FIIDS, Kandpal, and AHEAD for comments. The story will be updated upon receiving a response.

Focus on the RSS in the US

This event follows revelations from an investigation by Prism, which disclosed that the RSS had hired a major Washington DC lobbying firm to advocate for its interests in Congress. Despite this, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar reiterated that the organization does not employ any lobbying firm and only operates in India.

Critics have raised alarms that Bhagwat’s event aims to bolster the RSS's global influence and presence in international politics. Sunita Viswanath, executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, a US-based nonprofit, stated, “The diaspora is as much, if not more, the battleground for the war between inclusive Indians and Hindutva-aligned Indians.”

Concerns have also been voiced regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the event and its organizers.

“This event is problematic because the RSS is being given a platform to whitewash itself as seeking ‘Universal Oneness,’ while minorities pay the price with their lives,” remarked Safa Ahmed, a board member of the Indian American Muslim Council, part of a coalition combating the rise of Hindu nationalism.

Savera has released a report suggesting that AHEAD serves as another front for the RSS in the US.

“If the RSS insists they only work in India, why is Mohan Bhagwat even here? His organization first sought to secretly lobby Congress and is now organizing a propaganda event through shell entities,” Ahmed added.

Audrey Truschke, a history professor at Rutgers University, commented, “The RSS operates outside of India, both under that name and as the HSS. The RSS has contributed significantly to projects of religious-based oppression, especially of Muslims.”

Earlier this week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his disapproval of the event, stating it is not within his jurisdiction to stop it. “It is incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision,” he said during a press conference.

A day later, AHEAD’s social media account was briefly taken down, only to be restored with a statement claiming they had been targeted by opponents attempting to manipulate the platform's algorithm.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also expressed concern over the event, noting that the BJP has enforced policies in India that align with the RSS’s Hindutva ideology, discriminating against religious minorities.

The USCIRF, an independent federal entity established by Congress, monitors and makes recommendations regarding religious freedom globally. Their statement highlighted that the Indian government has engaged in acts of transnational repression against religious minorities, including assassination attempts on Sikh community members in North America.

(Fatima Khan is a New York-based journalist. With over six years of experience as a roving reporter in India, she has covered national politics, hate crimes, gender, and social justice with a sharp investigative lens.)