New York: The X account of the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD Forum), the organisation hosting an event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in New York, has been restored after being briefly suspended.
Following the restoration, AHEAD Forum claimed that its account had been targeted by coordinated bot activity and alleged that the activity was intended to trigger its suspension from the social media platform.
“We are back up!” the organisation said in a post on X, while thanking the platform and its support team for restoring access to the account.
AHEAD Forum Claims Coordinated Bot Activity Behind Suspension
AHEAD Forum alleged that “misguided opponents” had attempted to manipulate X’s systems by directing bot activity towards its account.
“We got ‘botted’ by misguided opponents who tried to game the X algorithm and get our handle blocked,” the organisation claimed.
It thanked X for what it called a “prompt response” in restoring the account and clearing the alleged bot activity.
The claim regarding coordinated activity has been made by AHEAD Forum and has not been independently established.
The development comes just ahead of Bhagwat’s scheduled appearance at a major gathering of the Indian diaspora in New York.
Mohan Bhagwat To Address ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’
Bhagwat is scheduled to participate in the ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’ at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, August 29. The event is being organised by AHEAD Forum.
The organisation describes itself as a US-based non-profit focused on promoting dialogue, civic engagement, interfaith understanding and cooperation among communities.
Bhagwat’s New York visit is part of a wider international outreach tour covering the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
USCIRF Raises Concerns Over Bhagwat’s Visit
Separately, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has raised concerns over Bhagwat’s visit, citing its assessment of religious freedom conditions in India and alleged attacks on minorities.
The concerns come as the RSS chief’s New York engagement attracts attention ahead of Saturday’s gathering.
Bhagwat’s visit and the Madison Square Garden event have generated debate in the US, while organisers have presented the gathering as an initiative centred on “Universal Harmony and Universal Oneness”.
