New Delhi: The political debate between India and the United States intensified after New York City’s newly sworn-in Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, voiced support for jailed activist Umar Khalid. Soon after, eight US lawmakers wrote to the Indian envoy demanding a fair and timely trial for Khalid. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted strongly and alleged that an anti-India campaign was being orchestrated from American soil, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being linked to the effort.
BJP links Rahul Gandhi to US lawmakers’ stand
The BJP highlighted a 2024 meeting between Rahul Gandhi and US lawmaker Janice Schakowsky as fresh proof of what it termed the Congress leader’s international “anti-India” ties. Schakowsky is among the lawmakers who have urged the Indian government to grant bail to Khalid, who was arrested in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted a photograph of Gandhi with Schakowsky and Ilhan Omar. He alleged that these global associations harm India’s reputation. “Every time an anti-India narrative is peddled abroad, one name recurs in the background: Rahul Gandhi. Those who want to weaken India, defame its elected government and dilute its anti-terror laws seem to inevitably converge around him,” Bhandari wrote on X.
Timeline presented by the BJP
Bhandari claimed that Gandhi’s meeting with Schakowsky and Omar coincided with legislative moves abroad targeting India. He referred to Schakowsky’s introduction of the ‘Combating International Islamophobia Act’ in January 2025, which he said “explicitly” named India and raised concerns about alleged “crackdowns on Muslim communities.”
He attempted to connect the dots and stated that in 2026 Schakowsky again wrote to the Indian government, pressing for bail for Khalid and a trial “in accordance with international law.” The letter also sought fair treatment of Khalid’s co-accused, who remain in jail.
BJP, VHP accuse Mamdani of interference
The BJP accused New York mayor Mamdani of overstepping and interfering in India’s internal affairs by posting a note expressing solidarity with Khalid. BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia questioned Mamdani’s locus standi and warned that “If India’s sovereignty is challenged, 140 crore Indians will stand united under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.” He asserted that people in India have “complete faith” in the judiciary.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also criticised Mamdani sharply. The VHP alleged that the mayor had insulted the Quran by publicly supporting “criminals who talk about dividing India.” The note that sparked the controversy was shared by Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri on X, with the caption, “When prisons try to isolate, words travel. Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid.”
“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 handwritten message by Mamdani read.
US lawmakers seek fair trial for Khalid
A group of US lawmakers recently wrote to India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, urging a fair and timely trial for Khalid respecting “international law.” Their intervention has sparked a fresh row between political camps in India, with the BJP alleging coordinated lobbying from abroad.
