Hundreds of protesters gathered in London’s Parliament Square on Sunday to oppose a visit by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, accusing the Hindu nationalist organisation of keeping his UK programme from public view.
The demonstration was organised by a coalition including the UK Indian Muslim Council, South Asia Solidarity Group, Hindus for Human Rights, India Labour Solidarity and StriveUK.
Protesters said they believed details of Bhagwat’s UK itinerary, including an interfaith event called the Oneness Celebration, had been kept confidential because organisers feared further demonstrations.
Rajiv Sinha of Hindus for Human Rights UK said the RSS had faced opposition during Bhagwat’s tour of the United States and Canada and suggested the limited information about his UK engagements reflected concerns about protests.
Naeem Baduuzzaman of the UK Indian Muslim Council accused the RSS of concealing its identity and ideology to gain access to communities. He also alleged that some faith leaders had been misled about the organisation.
Opposition to Bhagwat’s international tour began in the United States, where protesters demonstrated at a venue linked to his visit in New York. The London protesters said those demonstrations had heightened scrutiny of his UK programme.
Kalpana Wilson of the South Asia Solidarity Group criticised the Oneness Celebration, saying it presented Bhagwat and the RSS in a favourable light while, in her view, obscuring concerns about the organisation’s ideology.
The protesters called for greater scrutiny of Bhagwat’s visit and urged British political and civil society groups to consider concerns raised by minority and human rights organisations about the RSS.
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