A group of civil society organisations in the UK is urging the mayor of London to deny permission for a venue linked to a planned visit by Mohan Bhagwat, a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The groups argue that hosting the event would encourage RSS affiliates in the UK, increase polarisation within the Indian diaspora, and contribute to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation for vulnerable communities.
Both outlets report that the organisations describe the RSS in highly critical terms, linking it to political and ideological influences they associate with historical European fascism and describing it as a militarist organisation. While the outlets focus on the advocacy and the reasons given by the groups, they do not present details of any official decision by the London mayor or the London Authority regarding the request. The coverage centres on calls to prevent the event from taking place at a London Authority venue and the civil society groups’ concerns about potential social impact.
Overall, the reporting converges on the same core claim: UK civil society groups are asking London’s leadership to block Mohan Bhagwat’s RSS-linked event, citing concerns about hate speech and intimidation and characterisations of the RSS’s ideology and style.
