Zohran Mamdani’s 2023 speech reading Umar Khalid’s letter resurfaces online
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New York: A video of Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected Mayor of New York City, reading a letter written by jailed Indian activist Umar Khalid during a 2023 event has resurfaced online, drawing renewed attention amid his recent political rise.
The incident took place at the ‘Howdy, Democracy?!’ event in New York, held ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House in June 2023. The programme focused on democracy and civil liberties in India.
Introducing the letter, Mamdani told the audience, “I’m going to be reading a letter from Umar Khalid, who is a scholar and a former student activist at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi… who organised a campaign against lynching and hate. He has been in jail for more than 1,000 days under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and has yet to face trial, though his bail application has been repeatedly denied. He has also faced an assassination attempt.”
The letter, from Khalid’s prison diary, was read aloud as part of a session highlighting concerns about dissent and human rights in India.
Mamdani, who is of Gujarati origin, has previously drawn criticism for his political comments on India. Earlier this year, he faced backlash for comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a separate public event.
When asked about the possibility of sharing a platform with Modi during the Indian leader’s Madison Square Garden event, Mamdani had referenced the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying such an appearance would not align with his stance on human rights.
Umar Khalid, meanwhile, remains in judicial custody. Arrested in September 2020 for allegedly making inflammatory speeches and being part of a conspiracy linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, he has spent over four years in prison without trial. His bail plea, rejected by both the trial court and the Delhi High Court, was listed for hearing before the Supreme Court on Thursday.
A video from 2023 from a gathering in New York ahead of the PM Modi's visit to the US in 2023 where Zohran Mamdani reads Umar Khalid's Notes from Jail. pic.twitter.com/yiGQCCgiyw
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CM Siddaramaiah labels Kumaraswamy 'Manuvadi" over Bhagavad Gita curriculum push
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday took a swipe at Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, by calling him a "Manuvadi" after his alliance with the BJP, for seeking the inclusion of Bhagavad Gita in curriculum for students.
The CM's dig came in response to Kumaraswamy's recent letter to Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan, requesting the inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita in the curriculum of students.
"After Kumaraswamy joined hands with the BJP for elections, he has become a Manuvadi," Siddaramaiah told reporters here after paying tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 69th death anniversary here.
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Remembering Ambedkar, Siddaramaiah highlighted his contribution to the Constitution and his relentless fight to provide social justice.
The CM noted said fed up with social and caste system in Hinduism, and unable to reform it, Ambedkar accepted Buddhism.
He said, "Ambedkar, towards the end of his life, quit Hinduism and joined Buddhism. He was born in Hinduism, but cannot die in Hinduism, because he could not reform Hinduism, despite several efforts, so he accepted Buddhism."
