India criticises New York Mayor Mamdani over note to jailed activist Umar Khalid

India on Friday criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over a handwritten note he sent to jailed activist Umar Khalid, saying public representatives should respect the independence of judicial systems in other democracies and focus on their responsibilities.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the issue during his weekly media briefing after being asked about Mamdani’s communication to Khalid. “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. Instead of such comments, it would be better to focus on the responsibilities entrusted to them,” Jaiswal said.

Mamdani handed over the handwritten letter to Umar Khalid’s parents when he met them last month.

In the note, Mamdani expressed solidarity with Khalid and wrote, “Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often and the importance of not letting it consume one’s self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you.”

Mamdani’s support for Khalid dates back to his early tenure as a member of the New York State Assembly. In June 2023, during a protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, Mamdani read passages from Khalid’s prison diary and described him as a scholar and former student activist who had been unjustly persecuted.

Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Khalid’s father, said that he met Mamdani on December 9 for around 25 minutes to thank him for reading Khalid’s jail diary. He said Mamdani told him he often thinks about Khalid’s incarceration and believes he should get bail.

Umar Khalid has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots, in which 53 people were killed. He was granted bail from December 16 to 29 to attend his sister’s wedding.