If any Hindu thinks there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu: Mohan Bhagwat in New York

In what can only be called a public relations stunt or masterstroke, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat took to the global stage to bless the world with his profound wisdom. Speaking at two high-profile events in New York—the One World: One Humanity Faith Leaders’ Summit and the Universal Oneness Celebration at Madison Square Garden—Bhagwat shared some truly insights on what it means to be a Hindu in Bharat.

Addressing the faith leaders’ summit, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader said if any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain a Hindu. “Bharat is home to people of all denominations. Those who could not find a safe place in the world came to Bharat,” he said.

“We as RSS think, because we have this knowledge that world humanity is one, it is our duty to go all over the world and tell everybody that, in spite of diversities, we are one,” he said.

“Muslim brothers ask me: You are a Hindu organisation, you see Hindu Rashtra, what about us Muslims? Would you drive us out? I said, no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu,” he said.

“Where there is ‘me’ and ‘mine’, there is no solution. ‘We’ and ‘ours’ is the solution,” he added.

Bhagwat arrived in the US on Tuesday as part of the RSS centenary-year global outreach programme. His outreach tour also includes Canada and the UK.

Later, addressing a gathering organised by the American Hindus For Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) forum at the iconic Madison Square Garden, he reiterated that unity in diversity is in Bharat’s DNA, and has to be “celebrated, respected and accepted.”

Several groups and activists staged protests outside the venue, expressing skepticism over Bhagwat’s message of inclusivity, pointing to the organisation’s controversial past and its association with Hindu nationalist agendas.

Demonstrators carried placards challenging the sincerity of calls for ‘unity in diversity,’ accusing the event of glossing over deep-seated communal tensions. The protests highlighted the persistent divide in perceptions, with many wary that such high-profile speeches may be more about image management than genuine social reconciliation.

“When we say America, United States of America, one word is often discussed frequently, that is pluralism. And when we say Bharat, another phrase is discussed: unity in diversity,” he said in the nearly hour-long address.

“For Bharat, this unity and diversity, both are in the DNA,” he said, citing Swami Vivekananda’s message that every nation has a mission to accomplish, a destiny to fulfil.

“What is the destiny given to Bharat? Bharat is there to realise, and from time to time, make the world realise this unity in diversity. We are one, and due to this diversity, that oneness is decorated," the RSS chief said.

The event was attended by people from 39 states, 853 cities, with over 250 students from various universities and 250 organisations from the US.

The 75-year-old also called on the Indian diaspora in the US to remain loyal to their ‘karmabhoomi’ (land of action).

"The diaspora, Bharatiya diaspora, should be loyal to their karmabhoomi,” he said.

“Because Bharat is their janmabhoomi (land of birth), if they have an urge to do something and they can do that after fulfilling their duty to their karmabhoomi, it is not prohibited, but it is not obligatory. Your janmabhoomi expects you to live the values it has imparted to you. The value is oneness,” he added.