As Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered an address at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday (29th August), pro-Khalistani Sikhs associated with the Khalistani terrorist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) desecrated the Indian national flag to oppose his speech.
Viral videos show a pro-Khalistani Sikh tying an Indian national flag around his foot and posing for the cameras while insulting the flag. Some other pro-Khalistani Sikhs grabbed another Indian tricolour and tore it apart while dancing and cheering.
#BREAKING: NEW YORK CITY
— Indians (@voicesindians) August 30, 2026
Pro-Khalistan Sikh Protesters Stopped RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat outside Madison Square Garden in New York and Teared apart Tiranga (Indian National Flag).
Shame on these people pic.twitter.com/K5VV2uspkE
Rattled by Bhagwat’s visit to the US, pro-Khalistani Sikhs from the SFJ gathered at Madison Square Garden staging a protest against Bhagwat. The Khalistani elements carried banners and posters with offensive messages like “Modi is the face of Hindu terror” and raised pro-Khalistani and anti-India slogans. They also displayed a poster cut-out of Mohan Bhagwat and put a shoe garland around it.
NOW: Flag RIPPED APART and Confrontations outside MSG as protesters gather.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) August 29, 2026
Protesters and some Supporters Fill the Street Outside Madison Square Garden as RSS Chief Speaks NYC
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 | Licensing @FreedomNTV [email protected] pic.twitter.com/pGtgvkAJuw
The RSS chief was invited by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) to address an event titled “Universal Oneness Celebration” Infosys Theater inside the Madision Square Garden. Bhagwat had arrived in the US on Tuesday as part of his three-country visit under the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach. However, Bhagwat’s presence at the event triggered many anti-India and pro-Khalistani elements, who used the occasion to peddle their anti-India agenda.
The SFJ, which has been listed as a terrorist organisation by the government of India, was at the forefront of protests against Bhagwat’s speech. The terror group has a history of induging in anti-India activities and threatening the Indian government and PM Modi. Ahead of Bhagwat’s visit, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), chaired by Pakistan-born American Dr Asif Mahmood, called for US sanctions on the RSS.
