Abdul is signatory #1 on a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from U.S. based organizations affiliated with The Sangh, the Hindu supremacist movement that underpins the Modi government...
Michigan Democratic Progressives
Fabrice Smieliauskas
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7ÍhÍ
Abdul is signatory #1 on a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from U.S. based organizations affiliated with The Sangh (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)), the Hindu supremacist movement that underpins the Modi government in India and that oppresses Muslims, Christians and other minority faiths in that country. In the U.S., the American Sangh has three main political goals: countering Muslim advocacy, supporting Modi's regime, and combating anti-caste discrimination laws.
To her credit, Haley Stevens appears on this list as well. She and other Michigan political candidates have accepted money from Americans4Hindus PAC, which has RSS ties. She has agreed to return those funds, which she could have used in future campaigns or to distribute to her political allies.
Thank you Hindus for Human Rights-USA for your advocacy!! See less
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https://www.nriaffairs.com/nearly-100-us-political-figures-pledge-to-reject-rss-linked-campaign-money/
Nearly 100 US political figures pledge to reject RSS-linked campaign money
Representatives Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal are among those backing the initiative, launched amid mounting opposition to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwatâs visit to New York
NRI Affairs News Desk by NRI Affairs News Desk September 1, 2026 in News Reading Time: 6 mins read
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Nearly 100 US political figures pledge to reject RSS-linked campaign money
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Nearly 100 elected officials and political candidates across the United States have pledged to reject campaign contributions linked to Indiaâs Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, signalling growing political scrutiny of the organisationâs influence within the Indian diaspora.
The initiative was announced by Hindus for Human Rights Action and the South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy, known as SACRED Acts. Participants have committed to refusing RSS-linked donations and returning or redirecting any such contributions they discover.
Signatories reportedly include Indian-American members of Congress Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, US Representative Haley Stevens and New York congressional nominee Brad Lander.
The announcement follows RSS chief Mohan Bhagwatâs controversial appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, August 29. The event, called the âUniversal Oneness Celebrationâ, was promoted by organisers as a gathering dedicated to interfaith unity and shared humanity.
Bhagwat told the gathering that diversity should be âaccepted, respected and preservedâ and said anyone who believed Muslims should be expelled from India could not call themselves Hindu.
His message was met with scepticism by civil rights and diaspora organisations, which say the RSSâs record and its political influence in India contradict the language of pluralism presented at the event.
The RSS describes itself as a Hindu-centred cultural and civilisational movement dedicated to uniting Hindu society. It rejects allegations that it promotes intolerance.
Human rights organisations, however, describe it as the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs Bharatiya Janata Party and accuse the broader network of organisations associated with it â commonly known as the Sangh Parivar â of advancing an exclusionary Hindu majoritarian project.
Modi was an RSS pracharak, or full-time organiser, before entering electoral politics through the BJP...
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Fabrice Smieliauskas
¡
Michigan federal candidate recipients of Americans4Hindus PAC money:
Fabrice Smieliauskas
¡
7ÍhÍ
Abdul is signatory #1 on a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from U.S. based organizations affiliated with The Sangh (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)), the Hindu supremacist movement that underpins the Modi government in India and that oppresses Muslims, Christians and other minority faiths in that country. In the U.S., the American Sangh has three main political goals: countering Muslim advocacy, supporting Modi's regime, and combating anti-caste discrimination laws.
To her credit, Haley Stevens appears on this list as well. She and other Michigan political candidates have accepted money from Americans4Hindus PAC, which has RSS ties. She has agreed to return those funds, which she could have used in future campaigns or to distribute to her political allies.
Thank you Hindus for Human Rights-USA for your advocacy!! See less
-------------------
https://www.nriaffairs.com/nearly-100-us-political-figures-pledge-to-reject-rss-linked-campaign-money/
Nearly 100 US political figures pledge to reject RSS-linked campaign money
Representatives Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal are among those backing the initiative, launched amid mounting opposition to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwatâs visit to New York
NRI Affairs News Desk by NRI Affairs News Desk September 1, 2026 in News Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Nearly 100 US political figures pledge to reject RSS-linked campaign money
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Nearly 100 elected officials and political candidates across the United States have pledged to reject campaign contributions linked to Indiaâs Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, signalling growing political scrutiny of the organisationâs influence within the Indian diaspora.
The initiative was announced by Hindus for Human Rights Action and the South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy, known as SACRED Acts. Participants have committed to refusing RSS-linked donations and returning or redirecting any such contributions they discover.
Signatories reportedly include Indian-American members of Congress Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, US Representative Haley Stevens and New York congressional nominee Brad Lander.
The announcement follows RSS chief Mohan Bhagwatâs controversial appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, August 29. The event, called the âUniversal Oneness Celebrationâ, was promoted by organisers as a gathering dedicated to interfaith unity and shared humanity.
Bhagwat told the gathering that diversity should be âaccepted, respected and preservedâ and said anyone who believed Muslims should be expelled from India could not call themselves Hindu.
His message was met with scepticism by civil rights and diaspora organisations, which say the RSSâs record and its political influence in India contradict the language of pluralism presented at the event.
The RSS describes itself as a Hindu-centred cultural and civilisational movement dedicated to uniting Hindu society. It rejects allegations that it promotes intolerance.
Human rights organisations, however, describe it as the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs Bharatiya Janata Party and accuse the broader network of organisations associated with it â commonly known as the Sangh Parivar â of advancing an exclusionary Hindu majoritarian project.
Modi was an RSS pracharak, or full-time organiser, before entering electoral politics through the BJP...
----------------------
Fabrice Smieliauskas
¡
Michigan federal candidate recipients of Americans4Hindus PAC money:
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- Abdul is signatory #1 on a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from U.S. based organizations affiliated with The Sangh, the Hindu supremacist movement that underpins the Modi government...