New Delhi: India on Friday expressed strong disapproval of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he sent a note expressing solidarity with jailed activist Umar Khalid, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urging foreign public officials to respect the independence of India’s judiciary.
Responding to a question during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that elected representatives in other democracies should refrain from making comments that reflect personal prejudices about India’s legal processes.
Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid.
— banojyotsna … (@banojyotsna) January 1, 2026
December 2025. #FreeUmarKhalid#FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners pic.twitter.com/QTYe06cRp5
“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.
Letter Handed to Khalid’s Parents
The remarks followed reports that Mamdani had handed over a handwritten letter to Umar Khalid’s parents when he met them last month. In the note, Mamdani conveyed his solidarity with the activist, who has been in jail since 2020.
“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 wrote.
Long-Standing Support for Umar Khalid
Mamdani’s support for Khalid is not new. During his early tenure as a New York State Assembly member, he had publicly backed Khalid’s cause. In June 2023, while addressing a protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, Mamdani read excerpts from Khalid’s prison diary, portraying him as a scholar and former student activist who had been unjustly persecuted.
Umar Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, told NDTV that he met Mamdani on December 9 for around 25 minutes. According to him, the meeting was arranged to thank the Democrat for raising Khalid’s case in 2023.
“He said he always thinks about Umar’s incarceration and that he must get bail now,” Ilyas said.
When Mamdani asked what he could do, Khalid’s father replied, “Just pray.”
About Umar Khalid’s Case
Umar Khalid has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead. He was granted temporary bail from December 16 to December 29 to attend his sister’s wedding. His bail pleas in the larger case remain pending.