Mohan Bhagwat’s UK Visit: Indian Diaspora Groups Stage Protest Outside Gurdwara

Protests were held by members of the Indian diaspora in London following RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the Khalsa Jatha British Isles Gurdwara in central London. Bhagwat visited the gurdwara to pay obeisance during his overseas outreach tour covering the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The visit, which was not publicly announced in advance, drew criticism from sections of the British Sikh community and diaspora organisations.

A demonstration was organised on Sunday at Parliament Square by the South Asian Solidarity Group, with support from the Indian Workers Association, Great Britain (IWA), and other diaspora and civil society organisations. The Sikh Federation (UK) also criticised the visit, stating that several gurdwaras, Sikh organisations and individuals had expressed concern over Bhagwat being hosted at the gurdwara during a private gathering without the wider sangat, or congregation, being present. The federation argued that gurdwaras should remain spaces associated with refuge, dignity and community unity.

Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) Strategy Board, criticised the RSS and described it as a political and ideological movement. The federation’s Lead Executive Jaspal Singh urged civic and religious institutions in Britain to exercise caution when engaging with political organisations and public figures. Protest groups also objected to the confidentiality surrounding Bhagwat’s UK itinerary, including an interfaith event known as the Oneness Celebration, which they alleged could present the RSS and its leadership in a favourable manner.

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The gurdwara authorities, however, defended Bhagwat’s visit. Gurpreet Singh Anand, president of Khalsa Jatha British Isles, maintained that Bhagwat had only paid obeisance and had not addressed the congregation, held a political meeting or received institutional approval from Khalsa Jatha for such activities. Anand emphasised that the gurdwara remains open to everyone, regardless of political or ideological beliefs, as long as Sikh maryada, or religious rules and practices, are followed. He also stressed that permitting an individual to enter a gurdwara does not amount to endorsing their political views or organisation.

The controversy has also drawn reactions from political and community groups in Britain. Hindus for Human Rights UK and other campaign organisations wrote to London Mayor Sadiq Khan urging him to condemn the visit. Former Labour leader and current Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn also criticised Bhagwat’s presence in Britain, while Conservative MP Bob Blackman defended the engagement and expressed support for hearing Bhagwat’s views on the future. The IWA, meanwhile, framed its opposition around secularism, equality, democracy and opposition to communalism, stressing that disagreement with the RSS should not be equated with opposition to Hinduism or Hindus.

The dispute centres largely on differing views of the RSS and its Hindutva ideology, particularly its vision of India as a Hindu Rashtra. The IWA maintained that India belongs equally to citizens of all faiths as well as those with no religion, while acknowledging the right of Bhagwat and the RSS to express their views peacefully and the right of opponents to protest democratically. Opposition to Bhagwat’s overseas outreach had also emerged in the United States, where demonstrations were reported at a venue linked to his visit in New York.

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