Human Rights Advocates to Hold Parliament Hill Press Conference on RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Reported Canada Visit
August 12, 2026
OTTAWA, ON — Canadian human rights advocates, academics and community leaders will hold a press conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday, August 13 at 11:00 a.m. ET, calling on the Government of Canada to urgently review the admissibility of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat ahead of his reported visit to Toronto later this month.
The speakers bring diverse diasporic backgrounds, academic and human-rights perspectives to growing concerns surrounding the RSS, its political influence in India, documented abuses affecting minority communities, and the overall implications of Bhagwat’s reported visit for Canada. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has examined the relationship between the RSS and India’s ruling BJP, warning of its implications for religious freedom amid systematic, ongoing severe violations affecting minorities in India, recommending targeted sanctions and designation of India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’ In Canada, the Foreign Interference Commission examined Indian foreign-interference activities, while CSIS has documented the use of proxy agents to target Canadian communities and linked India’s conduct to its nationalist policy agenda. The RCMP has separately reported evidence of violent criminal activity linked to agents of the Indian government. The press conference also follows growing civil-society mobilization around the visit. A separate community joint letter calling for an immediate immigration and security review of Bhagwat’s visit has now received 273 endorsements, including 98 organizations and 175 individuals, spanning human rights groups, faith communities, labour organizations, student associations, academics and diverse diaspora and community organizations The federal NDP has also publicly opposed Bhagwat’s visit, with MPs Heather McPherson and Jenny Kwan calling on Canada to ban the RSS and deny Bhagwat entry.
Speakers include:
Heather McPherson, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Strathcona (NDP)
Danish Singh, National President, World Sikh Organization of Canada
Sravya Tadepalli, Deputy Director, Hindus for Human Rights
Ahmad Al Qadi, Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer, National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)
Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam, Associate Professor, Carleton University
Saleha Faruque, Advocacy Programs Manager, Justice For All Canada
Press Conference Details:
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026 Time: 11 a.m. ET Location: Room 135-B, West Block, Ottawa
Media Contact: Saleha Faruque, [email protected]
MEDIA NOTE: Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact [email protected] for temporary access.
OTTAWA, ON — Canadian human rights advocates, academics and community leaders will hold a press conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday, August 13 at 11:00 a.m. ET, calling on the Government of Canada to urgently review the admissibility of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat ahead of his reported visit to Toronto later this month.
The speakers bring diverse diasporic backgrounds, academic and human-rights perspectives to growing concerns surrounding the RSS, its political influence in India, documented abuses affecting minority communities, and the overall implications of Bhagwat’s reported visit for Canada. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has examined the relationship between the RSS and India’s ruling BJP, warning of its implications for religious freedom amid systematic, ongoing severe violations affecting minorities in India, recommending targeted sanctions and designation of India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’ In Canada, the Foreign Interference Commission examined Indian foreign-interference activities, while CSIS has documented the use of proxy agents to target Canadian communities and linked India’s conduct to its nationalist policy agenda. The RCMP has separately reported evidence of violent criminal activity linked to agents of the Indian government. The press conference also follows growing civil-society mobilization around the visit. A separate community joint letter calling for an immediate immigration and security review of Bhagwat’s visit has now received 273 endorsements, including 98 organizations and 175 individuals, spanning human rights groups, faith communities, labour organizations, student associations, academics and diverse diaspora and community organizations The federal NDP has also publicly opposed Bhagwat’s visit, with MPs Heather McPherson and Jenny Kwan calling on Canada to ban the RSS and deny Bhagwat entry.
Speakers include:
Heather McPherson, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Strathcona (NDP)
Danish Singh, National President, World Sikh Organization of Canada
Sravya Tadepalli, Deputy Director, Hindus for Human Rights
Ahmad Al Qadi, Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer, National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)
Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam, Associate Professor, Carleton University
Saleha Faruque, Advocacy Programs Manager, Justice For All Canada
Press Conference Details:
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026 Time: 11 a.m. ET Location: Room 135-B, West Block, Ottawa
Media Contact: Saleha Faruque, [email protected]
MEDIA NOTE: Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact [email protected] for temporary access.