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New York: As New York City Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani emerges as a prominent contender in the race for the city’s 2025 mayoral elections, a past video of his remarks on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone viral on social media, drawing both criticism and support.

The resurfaced clip shows Mamdani speaking at a public event earlier this year, where he was asked whether he would consider sharing a platform with PM Modi, particularly in the context of Modi’s Madison Square Garden rally. Mamdani firmly declined the idea and offered a detailed explanation for his position, referencing the 2002 Gujarat riots and drawing a controversial comparison.

“This is someone who helped to orchestrate what was a mass slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat,” Mamdani said in the video, referring to Modi’s role as then Chief Minister of Gujarat. “To the extent that we don’t even believe there are Gujarati Muslims anymore... And this is someone we should view in the same manner that we do Benjamin Netanyahu — this is a war criminal,” he added.

The comments have triggered mixed reactions across social media platforms such as X and Instagram, especially among Indian-American communities and political observers. While some praised Mamdani for taking a principled stand, others criticised the remarks as inflammatory and disrespectful to a democratically elected world leader.

Mamdani, 33, is the son of Indian-born Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani and acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair. He is currently a Democratic Socialist and has represented Astoria in the New York State Assembly since 2020. Born in Uganda, Mamdani moved to the United States at age seven and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

A first-generation Gujarati Muslim by heritage, Mamdani has long been vocal about international human rights issues, including his advocacy for Palestinian rights during his time at Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.

His recent rise in the Democratic mayoral primary, especially after the withdrawal of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has placed him in the national spotlight. He secured the Democratic nomination, Mamdani is expected to face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the November general election.

The final results of the Democratic primary are expected later this year. Mamdani has not issued any fresh statement in response to the viral video as of yet.

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New York/Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump Thursday said he had threatened to put 200 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they didn't stop the fighting last summer, reiterating the claim that he stopped the war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Trump repeated the claim that he stopped eight wars within the first year of his second term in the White House as he addressed an event of the Board of Peace in Washington.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the event along with leaders of the other nations who have signed up to join the Trump-led organisation.

As he addressed the event, Trump listed the conflicts he helped end and asked leaders of the countries to stand up as he mentioned the nations.

Trump asked Sharif to stand up and then said, "I spoke to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. He's excited. He's watching us right now."

"Pakistan and India. That was a big one. I think you should actually stand, come please stand just for a second. Pakistan and India. Thank you very much," Trump said.

As he spoke about ending the war between India and Pakistan last summer, Trump said he likes Sharif and the country's Field Marshal and Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir, whom he called a "great guy".

"…There was some fighting going on when I got to know him (Sharif) and your Field Marshal General. Great, Great General. Great Field Marshal, a great guy,” he said.

Trump repeated the assertion that Sharif had claimed he saved “25 million lives” when he stopped the war between India and Pakistan.

Earlier, Trump had claimed that Sharif said he had saved 10 million lives by ending the conflict between the two nations.

"You made that statement," Trump said to Sharif. “I said 25 million lives, could have been much more actually, but it was really a beautiful thing…. That war was raging. Planes were being shot down, and it was Pakistan and India. 

"And I got on the phone with both of them, and I knew him (Sharif) a little bit. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well, actually. I got to know Pakistan through a little trade. They were trying to make too good a deal, and I would get a little upset with them. And in the end, they got what they wanted, right? And they made a good deal, and I got to like them, the Prime Minister, the Field Marshal, who's a tough man, a tough good fighter, serious fighter. I like good fighters, actually,” Trump said.

“And when I heard that they were fighting, I pick up a certain newspaper.… and I saw that Pakistan and India were really going at it. And then it got worse and worse, and… many planes were shot down. It was all out. And I called them, I said, ‘Listen, I'm not doing trade deals with you two guys, if you don't settle this up’. They said, ‘No, no, no’,” Trump said, adding that neither of the two countries wanted to do that.

“I said, ‘No, it has to. If you don't do it, I'm not doing a trade deal. We're not doing a trade deal’," he added.

“And they do a lot of business with the United States, and they sort of softened up all of a sudden. And all of a sudden, I read where there was a little bit of a pullback by one, then the other, and all of a sudden, we worked out a deal. But I said, ‘If you fight, I'm going to put 200% tariffs on each of your countries’,” which essentially would have meant that they could not have done any business with the US.

“One of them, I won't say which one, said, ‘No, can't do that’. They both wanted to fight. But when it came to money, nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, ‘I guess we don't want to fight’. And we solved that deal in two-three days.

“And we did. We said these are two very powerful, two nuclear nations. And I don't want to say what was going to happen, but, you know, bad things happen. So, Prime Minister, I want to thank you, because that was a very big deal. People have no idea. A lot of them say, ‘Oh, well, they weren't fighting’. They were fighting, 11 jets were shot down, very expensive jets, and they were all in. Both of them were all in, and now they're not. 

“And I think we'll always be able to settle up with them. I really do. I think… a lot of progress was made, even in the relationship. And Prime Minister Modi also is a great man. He's a great guy. They're all great, but I was very proud of it.”

He, however, did not specify which country's jets he was referring to.

Trump has claimed credit for stopping the India-Pakistan conflict more than 80 times since May 10 last year, when he announced on social media that the two neighbours had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after talks mediated by the US.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.

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