X suspends and restores account of NYC event organizer ahead of Bhagwat appearance

The X account of the group organizing a New York event featuring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was temporarily suspended and later restored on August 27, days before the gathering is set to take place. The incident adds to the controversy surrounding the event, which has drawn opposition from New York City's mayor and several civil rights organizations.

American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, a registered nonprofit known as AHEAD, is the organizer of the "Universal Oneness Celebration" scheduled for August 29 at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden. The group's X handle, AheadForum1, became unavailable to users on Thursday before access was reinstated. AHEAD stated it believed the suspension resulted from a coordinated effort by opponents to manipulate the platform's systems. "We got botted by misguided opponents who tried to game the X algorithm and get our handle blocked," the organization posted after the account was restored. It maintained that its content, focused on promoting peace and interfaith dialogue, had consistently complied with X's policies. The social media platform has not publicly commented on the reason for the suspension.