Mira Nair's Son Zohran Mamdani, Running For NY Mayor Post, Under Fire For Attacking PM Modi
When asked if he would meet Modi if the Indian PM held a rally in New York and asked for a joint press conference, Mamdani said he wouldn't attend such an event
New York City mayoral candidate and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair, sparked outrage among Indo-American leaders and community representatives for spreading hate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 33-year-old made the remarks at an event, 'New Mayor, New Media', held on May 15 (local time) by New York Focus.
WHAT MAMDANI SAID?
When asked if he would meet Modi if the Indian PM held a rally in New York and asked for a joint press conference, Mamdani said he wouldn't attend such an event, equating Modi to Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and calling him a 'war criminal", according to the New York Post.
He then went on to blame the PM for the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying people were 'shocked" when he revealed he was a Gujarati Muslim.
The Supreme Court in 2022 upheld the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) clean chit to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and 63 others in the 2002 riots in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview with US-based podcaster and AI researcher Lex Fridman, earlier this year, called Godhra train incident a tragedy of ' unimaginable magnitude" which became a 'sparking point for violence". 'But that one tragic incident in 2002 became a sparking point, leading some people towards violence. Yet, the judiciary thoroughly investigated the matter. At that time, our political opponents were in power, and naturally they wanted all allegations against us to stick. Despite their relentless efforts, the judiciary analysed the situation meticulously twice and ultimately found us completely innocent. Those who were truly responsible have faced justice from the courts," he said.
MAMDANI'S INDIAN CONNECTION
Zohran Mamdani, the son of Indian-American Mira Nair, was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, before moving to New York City at the age of seven. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, a Ugandan, has roots in Gujarat.
Nair's films include Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
My mother brought me into this world, helped me understand it, and taught me 'if we don't tell our own stories, no one else will." I love you, my dear Mama.Happy Mother's Day to my Mama, and to mothers everywhere! pic.twitter.com/etFZJQ4qjd
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) May 11, 2025
'HIGHLY OBJECTIONABLE FOR HINDUS': NOT THE FIRST TIME
Mamdani is known for criticising New York politicians of Indian descent — Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and former state Sen. Kevin Thomas — for not condemning Modi.
In 2020, he said on X: '@JeniferRajkumar should return the money she's taken from Hindu fascists."
Rajkumar had then called Mamdani's comments 'extreme and divisive," and urged voters to 'reject hate, whether from the far left or far right." 'Hinduism is a faith of peace, nonviolence, and interfaith harmony. Hindu voters want our leaders to build bridges—not burn them. We must reject hate—whether it comes from the far left or the far right. Our city deserves leaders who unite, not provoke—who build coalitions, not headlines," she said.
A central tenet of Hinduism is inclusivity and mutual respect toward people of all faiths. Hindus believe not just in tolerance, but in one step more than tolerance– actively loving and respecting people of different backgrounds and faiths.— Jenifer Rajkumar (@JeniferRajkumar) August 8, 2022
Mamdani has also said on X: '@KevinThomasNY should acknowledge the terrifying truth of what's happening to Muslim Indians."
He also said former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney should 'renounce her association with Modi & condemn the atrocities he's perpetrated."
Jaspreet Singh, a Sikh Community Leader and human rights lawyer, said, 'Hate has no place in our city. We believe in equality, love and respect for all. We believe all are children of the same God. But Zohran has used his platform to amplify some of the worst anti-Hindu rhetoric imaginable. Words matter, and instead of uniting the Indian community, he seeks to divide us by religion, pitting Muslims and Hindus against each other. Associating Hindus with fascism and using derogatory words against them is highly objectionable."
OBAMA TO FIREFIGHTERS: CONTROVERSY'S CHILD
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Mamdani also reportedly trashed Barack Obama, accusing the former US president of lying, in a series of tweets from 2013 which resurfaced recently.
Mamdani, who is polling second behind ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, repeatedly refused to sign off an annual, non-controversial resolution simply commemorating May 4 as 'Volunteer Firefighters Day'. Mamdani was also one of the few Assembly Democrats to vote against a bill eventually signed into law creating a task force to help with recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters in New York. In 2023, he also voted against providing $25 million to volunteer fire departments statewide for new equipment and facilities and another $10 million to provide stipends to volunteer firefighters for offset training costs.
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First Published:
May 28, 2025, 12:41 IST
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