Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's ongoing visit to the United States as part of the organisation's centenary outreach programme has ignited a sharp political debate in India. While the Indian National Congress alleged that Bhagwat is facing significant opposition abroad, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena hailed the visit as a moment of national and cultural pride.

Congress Allegations: Opposition Abroad and Domestic Criticism

Congress leader Udit Raj claimed that Bhagwat encountered resistance almost immediately upon arriving in the US, and said similar pushback had reportedly occurred in Canada as well. Raj alleged that the RSS, which he described as having previously operated discreetly, is now drawing international scrutiny over its activities.

'The RSS had kept its activities hidden, but now it has started facing criticism at the international level. It is now proving that the RSS is anti-Dalit and anti-Christian. When it comes to Christians and their major festival Christmas, what they do with them, they are now facing all that outside. They don’t allow people to pray in churches. So, what do you think? The whole world is not seeing all this?' Raj said.

He also questioned the RSS chief’s appeal to the Indian diaspora to return to India, saying, 'Now, Bhagwat is going there and appealing to people to come back to India and assuring them that there are enough resources in India. But I know they will not come.'

BJP Defends the Visit as a Global Cultural Mission

The BJP pushed back firmly, framing the outreach as an effort to carry the message of Hindu philosophy to a global audience. BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh said, 'A message of Hindu thought should reach people across the world. Those who are looking at it through the lens of religion or sect are looking at it incorrectly. Hindu is a way of life; Hindu is not a religion. Those who are opposing it should first understand Hinduism. Only then will they be able to understand the RSS.'

BJP National Council Member Yamini Sharma described the visit as carrying 'immense global significance,' noting that the RSS has spent a century engaged in social service and national unity. BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo added that the outreach aims to help people 'better understand the Sangh, its policies and its dedication,' citing the organisation’s collaborative work with the US government during the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of its global goodwill.

Shiv Sena Highlights Madison Square Garden Address

Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC pointed to the scale of the event, noting that more than one lakh Hindus live in the US spanning professions from medicine and law to science and the arts. She said it was 'a matter of pride' that Bhagwat would address them at Madison Square Garden.

'When he speaks of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, meaning the world is one family, India has taken the lead in this. The RSS is a 100-year-old cultural organisation whose sole focus is service projects,' she said.

Context: RSS Centenary and the Diaspora Outreach

The RSS was founded in 1925, making 2025 its centenary year. The US outreach programme is part of a broader effort to strengthen ties with the Indian diaspora and project the organisation’s cultural footprint internationally. This comes amid heightened global attention on Hindu nationalist organisations and their activities outside India, with critics and supporters offering sharply divergent assessments of the RSS’s role and record.

As the debate continues, the political fault lines within India over the RSS’s international expansion are likely to deepen ahead of key state assembly elections.