Source Hindustan Times
NEW YORK — Social media platform X briefly suspended and subsequently restored the official handle of the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum, the primary organizers behind an upcoming high-profile address by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at Madison Square Garden.
The handle, @Aheadforum1, became unavailable for several hours on Thursday before platform administrators reinstated it. Following the reactivation, the organization stated that coordinated automated reporting by opponents had temporarily triggered X’s enforcement mechanisms.
“We got ‘botted’ by misguided opponents who tried to game the X algorithm and get our handle blocked. A big thank you to @X @Support for the prompt response, restoring our account and clearing out the bots,” the group said in an official statement.
Key Developments Surrounding the Madison Square Garden Event
The Event: Bhagwat is scheduled to headline the “Universal Oneness Celebration” on August 29 at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden. The gathering is billed as an interfaith, multicultural outreach initiative during the RSS’s centenary year and forms part of a three-nation tour covering the US, the UK, and Canada.
Local Political Pushback: The digital disruption follows remarks by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who publicly voiced opposition to the RSS’s presence in the city while acknowledging that municipal authorities hold no jurisdiction to cancel a private gathering.
Diplomatic & Diaspora Reactions: Rights advocacy organizations, including Hindus for Human Rights and the Indian American Muslim Council, had petitioned local and federal authorities against the event. Concurrently, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issued a situational security advisory urging civil dialogue and calling on city officials to ensure attendee safety.
Organizers confirmed that preparations for the August 29 gathering remain on track.
