UK groups urge mayor to block venue for RSS event
A coalition of civil society organisations in the United Kingdom has written to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, asking that no venue owned by the Greater London Authority be made available for any event of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ahead of a visit by its chief, Mohan Bhagwat. The letter, reported by Scroll.in as signed by 15 groups and individuals and by Times Now as carrying 20 signatories, urges the mayor to confirm that no mayoral representative would attend any RSS-linked event.
The organisations described the RSS as “an authoritarian and militarist group which drew explicit inspiration from European fascism,” a characterisation attributed to The Independent by Times Now. Among the signatories named in both reports are Hindus for Human Rights, the UK-Indian Muslim Council, India Labour Solidarity and the South Asia Solidarity Group.
Bhagwat's visit and planned event
Bhagwat is expected to address members of the Indian diaspora in the UK this weekend, as part of an international outreach programme marking the organisation’s centenary. His tour has included engagements in the United States and Canada, where his appearances have also generated debate.
The letter comes days after several Hindu organisations in the United States opposed an RSS event featuring Bhagwat in New York City. The event, titled Universal Oneness Celebrations, was held at Madison Square Garden. Two days after Bhagwat’s speech there, 90 US politicians pledged not to accept RSS-linked funding, according to Scroll.in. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a “clear statement” that he did not support the event, the UK groups noted.
The groups also wrote to the UK Foreign Office, describing Bhagwat’s visit as part of a “charm offensive of public outreach” that they claimed was supported by his allies in Britain. They sought information about measures being taken by the Metropolitan Police to protect communities during the visit.
Allegations in the letter
The letter cites allegations that RSS-affiliated groups were involved in the 2002 Gujarat riots, mentioning a report by the British High Commission that described the riots as having “all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing.” The riots led to a de facto travel ban on then-BJP leader Narendra Modi in the UK, which was lifted in 2012.
The organisations said there was “overwhelming evidence” of the RSS and its affiliates perpetrating violence against marginalised communities, including caste-oppressed groups. They also cited United Nations mechanisms that have advanced allegations that senior RSS and BJP figures incited hatred and discrimination, and that authorities targeted religious minorities and sought to render them second-class citizens.
The letter quoted Bhagwat as cautioning India’s Muslims to “abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy,” denying the reality of mob lynching in India, and claiming that the country’s “real freedom” dates from the Hindu nationalist consecration of the Ayodhya temple rather than 1947 independence. The Ram temple in Ayodhya was built on the site of the Babri Masjid, which was demolished on December 6, 1992, and was inaugurated in a ceremony led by Modi in January 2024.
The groups also referred to a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommending “targeted sanctions” on the RSS and its affiliates. They asked whether the mayor would write to the Home Secretary about assessing the visit against Home Office criteria for exclusion and commitments to prevent extremists entering the UK.
Wider calls for sanctions
On Tuesday, a separate group of civil society organisations addressed a letter to David Smith, the UK special envoy for freedom of religion or belief, and Jim Shannon, head of an all-party parliamentary group on freedom of religion or belief, urging officials to recommend that the UK government impose sanctions on RSS members and its affiliates.
Political reactions
British MP Jeremy Corbyn said the country should not be hosting “the leader of a hate group with a grievous history of far-right violence.” He added: “This is a deeply authoritarian, exclusionary and discriminatory organisation which has suppressed religious freedom and inspired horrific attacks on minorities.”
Conservative MP Bob Blackman expressed support for the visit, saying he was “pleased to listen to the thoughts & ideas for the future of @RSSorg by RSS Chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat this evening” in a post on X, as reported by Times Now.
The RSS is the parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which currently leads the Indian government.