Resident alleges HSS/Seva ties to congressional candidate, urges Livermore council to sever associations

At the Feb. 23 Livermore City Council meeting, speaker Peter Friedrich used his public-comment time to urge the council to reconsider civic associations with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) and Seva International, organizations he described as linked to India’s RSS.

Friedrich said HSS and Seva International perform public-facing service activities—proclamations, school drives and photo opportunities with local police—that he characterized as building organizational infrastructure and donor networks which, he asserted, enable political influence. He cited a 2020 Diwali event attended by a then-mayor and a 2024 Livermore Police Department photo in which officers received bracelets, and he said those interactions "build community trust and donor networks for these organizations." He named Raki Azrani as a candidate for California’s 14th Congressional District and said her campaign biography omits her role as vice president of government and public relations for Seva International.

Friedrich also asserted that the network opposed and lobbied against SB 509, a California bill he described as related to training law enforcement to recognize foreign-government targeting; he said the bill passed both houses unanimously but was vetoed by the governor after lobbying. The council did not record a response from staff or members to these claims during the meeting.

The remarks were delivered during the open forum; no formal action followed. The transcript does not record any staff verification or rebuttal of Friedrich’s assertions during the meeting.