India rebukes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over letter to jailed activist Umar Khalid

India on Friday delivered a firm diplomatic rebuke to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for a personal letter he wrote to jailed Indian activist Umar Khalid, underlining that public representatives should respect the independence of the judiciary in other democracies and focus on official responsibilities rather than expressing personal views on foreign legal matters.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in its strongest comments to date on the controversy, criticised Mamdani’s outreach to Khalid, who has been imprisoned in India since 2020 in a high-profile criminal conspiracy case related to the Delhi riots, saying that such gestures amounted to inappropriate intervention in another country’s internal judicial processes.

“We expect public representatives to be respectful of the independence of 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,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, signalling New Delhi’s displeasure with the tone and substance of Mamdani’s note.

The controversy erupted after a photograph of Mamdani’s handwritten letter was shared on social media earlier this week. In the message addressed to Khalid, the Mayor 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.”

India’s reaction aligns with objections from ruling party leaders who have repeatedly said India would not tolerate interference in its internal affairs and that its judiciary commands the trust of its citizens.