NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is “interfering” in India’s internal affairs by writing a note to jailed student leader Umar Khalid.
The BJP remained mum on a “The Hindu” report, which stated that eight US lawmakers have written to Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, urging India to grant bail and a free and fair trial to Khalid “in accordance with international law.”
Questioning Mamdani’s locus standi to comment on India’s internal matters, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia cautioned the New York City mayor against such efforts.
The reaction came after Mamdani wrote a note to Umar Khalid, recalling his words on “bitterness” and the importance of not letting it consume oneself.
The note was posted on X by Mr Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri.
“When prisons try to isolate, words travel. Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid,” the caption accompanying the note stated.
“Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume oneself. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” the handwritten note, signed by Mamdani, read.
Mr Khalid and a few others have been booked under the draconian anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly.
In their letter dated Dec 30, according to The Hindu, the US lawmakers pledged support to the jailed student activist and asked the Indian government to “share the steps being taken to ensure that the judicial proceedings against Umar Khalid and those of his co-accused who remain in detention comport with international standards”.
The letter by the US lawmakers was shared by Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern, who is also the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. The others who had signed on it include Democrat Jamie Raskin, Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, US Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Lloyd Dogget, Rashida Talib, and Senators Chris Van Hollen, and Peter Welch.
As per the letter, McGovern and others had met Umar Khalid’s parents earlier in December. “Representative Raskin and I are leading our colleagues to urge that he be granted bail and a fair, timely trial in accordance with international law,” he said, sharing the signed letter in a post on X.
The lawmakers claimed that human rights organisations, legal experts and global media have raised questions about the fairness of the investigation and legal process related to Khalid’s detention.
