Zohran Mamdani, NYC Mayoral Candidate, Slammed Over Anti-Modi, Anti-Hindu Rants
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Mamdani's anti-India tirades aren't new, but by labelling PM Modi a 'war criminal', the NYC mayoral candidate has struck a fresh nerve among Indian voices at home and abroad.
Indian-origin Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a vocal left-wing figure in New York City politics, is facing intense backlash from prominent public figures and diaspora voices after a series of controversial remarks and resurfaced tweets targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Hindu faith, and India's democratic institutions.
Mamdani recently won the Democratic primary after former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the city's mayoral race. He secured 43.5 per cent of the vote, with 90 per cent of ballots counted. If elected in the final round, Mamdani would become New York's first Muslim mayor.
While Mamdani has long positioned himself as a progressive voice, critics say his statements cross the line from dissent to disinformation and bigotry, especially in a global context where Indian-Americans are increasingly asserting their identities in public life.
The controversy flared after Mamdani recently said he would not appear on the same stage as PM Modi, calling him a 'war criminal" and drawing parallels with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. 'This is someone who we should view in the same manner that we do Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a war criminal," Mamdani said at a May 2025 event when asked if he would join Modi at a public rally.
This followed another inflammatory claim where Mamdani said he often shocks people by revealing he is a Gujarati Muslim, 'because Modi killed so many that people don't even believe we exist anymore."
'We should view Modi the way we view Netanyahu. This is a war criminal," says Indian-origin politician Zohran Mamdani in his campaign for New York Mayor pic.twitter.com/P6tzorEx5T — Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) June 7, 2025
These remarks were met with sharp criticism from Indian leaders across party lines. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi posted on X: 'When Zohran Mamdani opens his mouth, Pakistan's PR team takes the day off. India doesn't need enemies with 'allies' like him shouting fiction from New York."
When Zohran Mamdani opens his mouth, Pakistan's PR team takes the day off. India doesn't need enemies with 'allies' like him shouting fiction from New York.— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) June 25, 2025
Why His Claims Are Controversial
Mamdani's assertion that Modi 'wiped out" Gujarati Muslims was widely condemned as provocative and factually baseless. Gujarat's 2021 census data shows Muslims make up roughly 10 per cent of the state's population, numbering over six million, contradicting any notion of demographic erasure.
Omer Ghazi, a political analyst, called the statement 'not only provocative and false, [but one that] insults the 6 million-plus vibrant Muslim population in Gujarat by denying their existence." He added: 'This shows Mamdani will lie through his teeth for his ideological goals."
Zohran Mamdani is the product of the same poisonous cocktail between Islamism and Marxism that has plagued the intellectual discourse for several decades.In a press conference, he was asked about his views on PM Modi's rally in the United States, and he said that his father…
— Omer Ghazi (@OmerGhazi2) June 25, 2025
Netizens Hit Back
Mamdani's remarks have triggered a wave of condemnation on social media, especially among Indian-origin users and diaspora commentators who accuse him of pushing extremist narratives under the guise of progressive politics.
One post that gained traction referred to him as the 'Jehadi Mayor of New York," accusing him of fostering hatred against both Hindus and Jews. The tweet called out Mamdani's silence on violent slogans and attempts to normalise extremism in political discourse.
MEET THE NEW JEHADI MAYOR OF NEW YORK1. Zohran Mamdani is the son of Mahmood Mamdani, a fake Marxist, and Mira Nair – a fake Malayali. Mira is a Punjabi Nayyar who fooled millions of Malayalis into believing that she was a Malayali via her misspelled name. Such duplicity is at… pic.twitter.com/B3ahZ3r2YB
— Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) June 25, 2025
This Zohran Mamdani was even seen spreading fake news against Gujarati Hindus by claiming that no Muslims exist in Gujarat contrary to his claim in fact Muslims of Gujarat are richest among counterparts of country and many Muslims businessman of state openly endorse Modi ji. 3/n pic.twitter.com/dlyPTAoOr0 — Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) June 25, 2025
Another user pointed out Mamdani's refusal to condemn slogans like 'Globalise the Intifada" and his public reading of Umar Khalid's prison notes, stating that this isn't progressive leadership but a dangerous flirtation with radicalism.
When asked about the phrase, Mamdani said, 'Ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights," declining to denounce it directly.
While the word intifada literally means 'uprising" or 'shaking off" in Arabic, it is widely associated with the Second Intifada, a violent campaign of attacks against Jewish Israelis during the early 2000s.
Anti-Hindu Slurs And Silence At Protests
One of the most contentious episodes traces back to an August 2020 protest in Times Square, where Zohran Mamdani joined demonstrators opposing the Ram Mandir celebrations. According to eyewitnesses and social media coverage, protestors were heard chanting slogans like 'Who are Hindus? Harami!" and directing abusive phrases at Lord Ram, a deeply revered Hindu deity.
Mamdani stood alongside the crowd as the hate speech unfolded—but did not publicly condemn it. This silence sparked sharp criticism from commentators who see the omission as more than an oversight; they interpret it as tacit approval.
Rishi Bagree, a well-known social media commentator, posted: 'NYC Mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani once led a mob of protestors in Times Square calling Hindus bastards and heaping abuses upon Lord Rama, who is worshipped by Hindus. A true scumbag."
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani once led a mob of protestors in Times Square calling Hindus as bastards and heaping abuses upon Lord Rama, who is worshipped by Hindus.A true scumbag. pic.twitter.com/yzU4sLlvqh
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) June 25, 2025
Actor Kangana Ranaut also reacted sharply to Mamdani's remarks, pointing out his family's Indian roots. She wrote: 'His mother is Mira Nair, one of our best filmmakers, Padmashri, a beloved and celebrated daughter born and raised in great Bharat based in New York. She married Mehmood Mamdani (Gujarati origin), a celebrated author, and obviously son is named Zohran. He sounds more Pakistani than Indian … whatever happened to his Hindu identity or bloodline and now he is ready to wipe out Hinduism, wow!!"
His mother is Mira Nair, one of our best filmmakers, Padmashri , a beloved and celebrated daughter born and raised in great Bharat based in Newyork, she married Mehmood Mamdani ( Gujarati origin) a celebrated author, and obviously son is named Zohran, he sounds more Pakistani… https://t.co/U8nw7kiIyj — Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) June 26, 2025
Mamdani's presence at such events, without publicly condemning hate speech, suggests selective outrage.
A Long Trail Of Provocative Tweets
Several of Mamdani's older tweets have resurfaced, adding fuel to the fire:
August 17, 2024: 'This is a photo of Babri Masjid… In 1992, it was destroyed in a riot instigated by the BJP, now India's ruling party. On Sunday, Hindu nationalists want to celebrate that atrocity in NYC."
This is a photo of Babri Masjid, a mosque that stood for over 400 years in Ayodhya, India.In 1992, it was destroyed in a riot instigated by the BJP, now India's ruling party.
On Sunday, Hindu nationalists want to celebrate that atrocity in NYC.
Will Mayor Adams let them? pic.twitter.com/UL6L2GA4lY
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) August 16, 2024
May 7, 2020: 'My family was expelled from Uganda because they were Indian. Today, my brothers & sisters in India are being persecuted because they're Muslim."
In 1972, my family was expelled from Uganda because they were Indian.Today, my brothers & sisters in India are being persecuted because they're Muslim.
I won't stay quiet as the past repeats itself & self-proclaimed progressive leaders watch in silence or complicity. (5/x)
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) March 6, 2020
August 6, 2020: 'The BJP promotes Hindutva or Hindu supremacy… they want to erase the legacy of an India where my Hindu grandfather recited Urdu poetry and my Muslim grandfather sang bhajans."
The BJP promotes the ideology of Hindutva, or Hindu supremacy. They want to transform India from a diverse, secular republic into a Hindu state & erase the legacy of an India where my Hindu grandfather recited Urdu poetry & my Muslim grandfather sang bhajans in Gujarati. (2/8) pic.twitter.com/1C85XSgOX6 — Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) August 5, 2020
Who Is Zohran Mamdani?
The son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and political theorist Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran represents New York's 36th District and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Born in Uganda, he moved to New York when he was 7 years old, ultimately becoming a US citizen in 2018.
He announced his bid for mayor of New York City and built his platform around issues like housing, public transit, and international justice. However, it's his views on India, and especially his vitriolic rhetoric against PM Modi and the Hindu community, that have attracted the most attention back home.
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Bottom Line
Mamdani may brand himself as a progressive voice, but growing voices in India and among Indian-Americans say he's peddling ideological propaganda, not facts. From resurrecting old communal wounds to making outrageous demographic claims and glorifying radical figures, Mamdani's words are being called out not just as offensive, but dangerous.
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First Published:
June 26, 2025, 12:14 IST
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