New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani once again criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Diwali outreach to the Hindu-American community, saying he grew up in an India where pluralism is celebrated. Months after Zohran Mamdani called Narendra Modi a “war criminal”, the New York City mayoral candidate has defended the prime minister’s repeated criticisms during his Diwali outreach to Hindu American voters, saying he grew up in an India where pluralism is celebrated. Mamdani, who visited several Hindu temples in Queens on the occasion of Diwali, further said that Prime Minister Modi and his party, the BJP, are leading India with the attitude that the country “only has room for certain kinds of Indians.”
Zohran Mamdani targets Prime Minister Modi on Diwali
Addressing the Hindu American community, he said “So, I have been critical of Mr. Modi because the vision I grew up with was of an India that is pluralistic, an India where everyone is included, regardless of their religion. And my criticism of Mr. Modi and the BJP political party has been for their approach that only has room for certain kinds of Indians, and that’s part of the belief that pluralism is something that should be celebrated. What is needed, for which efforts should be made.
Zohran Mamdani said- PM Modi grew up in pluralistic India
In his latest address to the Hindu-American community in New York City, Mamdani appealed to those who did not agree with his views about Prime Minister Modi, and said he would treat them the same, as this was one of the many lessons he had learned while “growing up in a pluralistic society”. He added, “And I also know that I’m running for mayor of New York City – eight and a half million people – many of whom will have a different opinion than I do about Mr. Modi, and that’s their right, and I will try to represent all of them, because my responsibility as a New Yorker is to make sure they’re safe, to make sure they can afford this city.”
Zohran Mamdani had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Following Mamdani’s victory in the Democratic mayoral primary earlier this year, an old video resurfaced in which he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots. In this video, Mamdani had alleged that Muslims were wiped out from Gujarat. Citing the scale of the violence and its aftermath, he said that “people don’t even believe we exist anymore.”
Narendra Modi was called a ‘war criminal’
At a candidates’ forum ahead of the mayoral election, Mamdani, responding to a question about appearing with Modi during his New York visit, drew a comparison between Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and labeled both of them “war criminals”. The New York mayoral election is barely two weeks away, and Mamdani is trying his best to woo voters from all walks of life in New York City. New York City is also home to the largest population of Indian Americans in the United States.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
Although Mamdani’s rival, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, is trailing by 13 percentage points according to the latest polls, the Democratic Party nominee’s lead over the former New York governor has shrunk significantly over the past few weeks. According to several media reports, the election race could become even more difficult for Mamdani if Republican Party candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is in third place, loses the election.
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In this tight contest, Mamdani, who is proud of his Indian roots, will need the support of New York City’s Indian-American voters – many of whom he has alienated with his recent sharp attacks against Prime Minister Modi. He has caused resentment not only in India, but also among Hindu Americans in New York. This was made clear in June, two days before New York City’s Democrats voted to select their mayoral candidate, when a plane flew over the iconic Statue of Liberty with large letters reading “Save New York City from Global Intifada” and “Reject Mamdani.”
Political attacks on PM intensified in India due to Mamdani’s statement
Behind this banner was a group of Hindu Americans who, according to The New York Times, were angered by Mamdani’s “anti-Hindu and anti-India agenda”. In India, Mamdani’s claims about the Gujarat riots were strongly criticized by both the Congress and the BJP.
Fact-checking Mamdani’s claims on Gujarat riots, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi wrote on
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BJP MP Kangana Ranaut also criticized Mamdani, saying he “looks more Pakistani than Indian.” Indian-American New Yorker Indu Viswanathan, who considers herself a liberal, described Mamdani’s statements as “blatant lies” and described them as “a projection of an illiberal, anti-intellectual leftist authoritarianism that has taken root in progressive politics.”