India's Ministry of External Affairs delivered a sharp rebuke to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his recent note of solidarity to Umar Khalid, a student activist detained since 2020 in connection with the Delhi riots. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal advised the mayor to prioritize his responsibilities in the U.S. rather than commenting on India's judicial processes.

The controversy erupted after Mamdani, New York City's first mayor of Indian and Muslim heritage, met Khalid's parents during their U.S. trip and passed along a personal handwritten message. In the note, he referenced Khalid's reflections on avoiding bitterness amid hardship, stating it was an honor to meet the family and that many were thinking of him. This act revives Mamdani's prior public support, including reciting from Khalid's prison diary at a protest years ago.

During a routine press briefing, Jaiswal emphasized that elected officials abroad should respect the independence of other nations' courts. "It does not befit those in public office to voice personal biases on matters under judicial review elsewhere," he remarked, specifically urging Mamdani to attend to the challenges of governing New York instead. The statement comes amid growing international attention to Khalid's prolonged pretrial detention, including pleas from some U.S. figures for his release.

Umar Khalid, once a prominent student leader at Jawaharlal Nehru University, faces charges under India's stringent anti-terror law for allegedly conspiring in the 2020 northeast Delhi violence that claimed over 50 lives. Prosecutors link him to riot planning around a key citizenship law protest, though he maintains innocence and has seen multiple bail denials after more than five years without trial. The case polarizes views: supporters decry it as suppression of free speech, while authorities stress evidence of instigation.

Mamdani, son of academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, embodies the Indian diaspora's global reach, but his intervention highlights friction when personal advocacy intersects with diplomacy. Indian groups like the BJP have amplified the MEA's call, cautioning against meddling in sovereign affairs. As of January 2026, with Mamdani settled in his mayoral role, this episode signals how such cross-Atlantic gestures can strain bilateral ties.