“It Will Cost You Dearly”: Kiren Rijiju Issues Stern Warning After Indian Flag Desecrated in New York

New York: Union Minister and senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju has issued a sharp rebuke following a disturbing incident of national flag desecration during a protest outside Madison Square Garden in New York City. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, August 29, took place as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed a diaspora event at the venue.

Videos circulating on social media have sparked widespread outrage, showing protesters—allegedly linked to the designated terrorist organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)—engaging in acts of blatant disrespect toward the Indian tricolour. In the footage, one individual is seen tying an Indian flag around his foot, while other demonstrators were captured on camera tearing another flag apart while cheering and dancing.

A Clear Warning

Responding to the provocation, Kiren Rijiju took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to draw a firm line between political dissent and national insult.

“We have always said that you have the freedom to criticize the RSS, the BJP, or the government, but do not abuse our nation,” Rijiju wrote in a post, which included an urgent message in Hindi. “Listen carefully—do not insult our flag and my country. It will cost you very dearly.”

The minister’s firm stance underlines the government’s zero-tolerance policy toward the humiliation of national symbols, regardless of the ideological motivations behind such protests.

Context of the Incident

The protests were staged to coincide with the “Universal Oneness Celebration,” an event held at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden, where Mohan Bhagwat was the keynote speaker. The RSS chief is currently on a three-country tour as part of his organization’s global outreach during its centenary year.

Beyond the desecration of the flag, protesters were seen brandishing signs labeling Prime Minister Narendra Modi with inflammatory rhetoric and performing a “shoe-garland” act on a cardboard cutout of the RSS chief. The demonstration, led by the SFJ, was reportedly encouraged by heightened tensions surrounding the visit; notably, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)—led by Pakistan-born American Dr. Asif Mahmood—had controversially called for US sanctions on the RSS just ahead of the visit.

A Pattern of Provocation

The involvement of the SFJ, an outfit officially blacklisted by the Indian government as a terrorist entity, is seen by observers as a calculated attempt to gain attention through anti-India activity on international soil. The incident has intensified calls for stricter monitoring of such groups operating within the United States.

As the video of the desecration of the Indian flag continues to circulate, government officials and the diaspora community have condemned the actions as a display of intolerance that goes far beyond the scope of democratic protest.