‘Focus On Your Responsibilities’: India Slams Zohran Mamdani Over Letter To Umar Khalid
India has strongly criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for writing a note expressing solidarity with jailed activist Umar Khalid, saying public representatives must respect the judicial processes of other democracies.
Responding to media queries on Friday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Mamdani’s comments were inappropriate and advised him to focus on the responsibilities entrusted to him.
“We expect public representatives to be respectful of the independence of the judiciary in other democracies. Expressing personal prejudices does not behove those in office,” Jaiswal said.
The reaction comes after Mamdani handed over a handwritten letter to Umar Khalid’s parents during a meeting last month.
In the note, Mamdani conveyed his support for Umar Khalid, writing that he often reflected on Khalid’s words about bitterness and hoped he was doing well.
Mamdani has previously spoken in support of Khalid.
In June 2023, during a protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, he read from Khalid’s prison diary and described him as a scholar and former student activist who was being unjustly targeted.
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Umar Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, told NDTV that he met Mamdani on December 9 to thank him for raising his son’s case internationally.
According to him, Mamdani expressed concern over Umar Khalid’s prolonged incarceration and said he hoped Khalid would be granted bail soon.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court declined to grant bail to Umar Khalid, who has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots case.
The apex court denied bail to Sharjeel Imam in a related matter, while releasing five others connected to the case.
Khalid was earlier granted interim bail from December 16 to 29 to attend his sister’s wedding. He continues to face charges linked to the 2020 violence in Delhi, which left 53 people dead.
