“We are all thinking of you,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid
New Delhi/New York: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has written a personal letter to former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist Umar Khalid, who is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The development was first reported by The Telegraph India.
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, recently made history by becoming the first Muslim and Indian-origin mayor of New York City. A handwritten note attributed to him surfaced on social media platform X, where he reflected on an earlier interaction with Khalid and conveyed support during his incarceration.
“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,” the note read, according to the report. The Telegraph India said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter.
Banojyotsna Lahiri, a close friend of Khalid who shared the letter online, told The Telegraph India that Khalid’s parents had visited the United States in December and met several people during their trip, including Mamdani.
Umar Khalid, a former scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, was arrested in September 2020 in connection with an alleged conspiracy linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. While the Delhi High Court has discharged him in one FIR, he continues to remain in custody in another case under the UAPA. His bail pleas have been rejected multiple times over the past five years, and in December 2025, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on his bail application.
This is not the first time Mamdani has publicly expressed support for Khalid. In June 2023, at a ‘Howdy, Democracy?!’ event in New York held ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, Mamdani read excerpts from Khalid’s prison writings. At the time, Mamdani, then a member of the New York State Assembly, described Khalid as a scholar and activist who had campaigned against lynching and hate crimes, and pointed out that he had been incarcerated for over 1,000 days without trial.
Mamdani, who rose to prominence through grassroots political organising, served as a New York State Assembly member before being elected mayor, becoming one of the most prominent Indian-origin politicians in the United States.
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Two killed as bus hits motorbike
Thane (PTI): Two young men were killed and another was seriously injured when a speeding bus rammed into their motorcycle in Mumbra area of the city on Tuesday evening, police said.
The victims, all residents of Thakur Pada, were riding from Roshni Mahel toward Y Junction.
"The motorcycle was hit from behind by a bus driven by Mustafa Hussain Sheikh (58). The two-wheeler got dragged under the front wheel of the bus," said a traffic police official.
Sangam Rajesh Pulshare (21) and Avinash Ramdas Davande (19) died while Mahesh Bhagwan Vare (18) sustained serious injuries.
The bus driver was detained and a case was being registered at the Mumbra police station, said the official.
