BJP slams New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over letter backing Umar Khalid

New Delhi: The BJP is furious over a note written by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in support of Umar Khalid, an accused in the Delhi riots. The BJP has categorically told the American leader that India will not tolerate any such interference in its internal affairs. The ruling party at the center questioned who he is to question India's democracy and judiciary. Mamdani had given a note expressing sympathy for Khalid to his parents, which came to light on the day of his swearing-in.

'India will never tolerate this'

The BJP is highly agitated over the revelation of the note written by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for Umar Khalid last December. At a press conference on Friday at the party headquarters, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "If any person supports an accused, and comments on India's internal affairs, India will not tolerate it. Every citizen of India has complete faith in India's judiciary."

'Who is any outsider to do this?'

The BJP leader questioned, "Who is any outsider to question our democracy and judiciary? That too in support of a person who wants to break India into pieces? This is not right... When it comes to India's sovereignty, 140 crore Indians will stand against it under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Shared by Umar Khalid's 'Partner'

The note that Zohran Mamdani wrote for Umar Khalid was released on Thursday (January 1, 2026), the day he took the oath of office as the Mayor of New York, swearing on the Quran. According to a report in the Indian Express, the note was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Omar Khalid's "partner," Banajyotsna Lahiri. In the note, Mamdani wrote to Khalid, "Dear Omar... It was wonderful meeting your parents. We are all thinking of you."

"Met Mr. Mamdani on December 9"

According to Lahiri, Khalid's mother, Sahiba Khanam, and father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had gone to the US to visit their daughter before a family wedding. Speaking to the newspaper, Ilyas said, "When we went to the US, we met Mr. Mamdani on December 9... We had heard him read a letter from Omar's diary earlier (in 2023) and wanted to meet him. He graciously gave us 25 minutes of his time. At the end of the meeting, he said he wanted to give Omar a letter and wrote a few lines before we left."

Omar Khalid is an accused in the Delhi riots

Omar's father said, "When Omar came home for a few days to attend his sister's wedding, we showed him the letter." Khalid was released from Tihar Jail on two weeks of interim bail to attend his sister's wedding. Khalid is accused of being the mastermind of the 2020 Delhi riots and is facing charges under serious sections of the IPC as well as the UAPA.