Twenty civil society organisations in the UK have urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to stay away from an event being organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to Britain.
In a letter to Khan, the groups described the RSS as an “authoritarian and militarist group” that they said had drawn “explicit inspiration from European fascism”. They have asked the Greater London Authority not to provide a venue for the RSS-organised programme, according to a report by The Independent.
Bhagwat is expected to address members of the Indian diaspora in Britain over the weekend. His UK visit is part of a series of international outreach programmes being held to mark 100 years of the RSS. His tour has also included the US and Canada.
The London campaign comes after opposition to an RSS event in the United States. Several Hindu groups based in the US had objected to the Universal Oneness Celebrations, which was held at Madison Square Garden in New York last week.
The organisations have also approached the UK Foreign Office over Bhagwat’s visit. According to The Independent, they described the trip as part of a wider public outreach effort supported by RSS allies in Britain.
The letter was signed by groups including Hindus for Human Rights, the UK-Indian Muslim Council, India Labour Solidarity and the South Asia Solidarity Group. It also sought details of measures being taken by the Metropolitan Police to protect communities during the visit.
The organisations warned that Bhagwat’s visit could encourage RSS affiliates in Britain to promote what they described as hate speech and further deepen divisions within the Indian diaspora. They also raised concerns that it could create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation for vulnerable communities.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has also opposed the visit. He said Britain should not host “the leader of a hate group with a grievous history of far-right violence”.
Corbyn, now a Your Party MP, further described the RSS as an authoritarian, exclusionary and discriminatory organisation, alleging that it had suppressed religious freedom and inspired attacks against minorities.
However, Conservative MP Bob Blackman has defended Bhagwat’s visit. In a post on X, he said he was “pleased to listen to the thoughts & ideas for the future” of the RSS from its chief.
