Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 2: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of interfering in India’s internal affairs after he wrote a note to jailed activist Umar Khalid, asserting that such actions will not be tolerated.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia questioned Mamdani’s locus standi to comment on India’s judicial process and cautioned him against making remarks on the issue. “If India’s sovereignty is challenged, 140 crore Indians will stand united under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Bhatia said, adding that the people of India have complete faith in the country’s judiciary.

The BJP’s reaction came after Mamdani wrote a note to Khalid, recalling his words on “bitterness” and the importance of not allowing it to consume oneself. The note was shared on social media platform X by Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, with the caption, “When prisons try to isolate, words travel. Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid.”

In the letter, Mamdani wrote, “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.”

Bhatia also referred to a letter written earlier by a group of US lawmakers to India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, urging a fair and timely trial for Khalid in accordance with international law. Reacting sharply, he said, “If anybody comes out in support of any accused and interferes in India’s internal matters, the country will not tolerate it.”

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Bhatia said it was unfair for “outsiders” to raise questions about India’s democracy and judiciary, especially while supporting a person accused of trying to break the country. He further launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he meets “anti-India forces and enemies of India” during his foreign visits and encourages them to spread falsehoods about the country.

Bhatia accused Gandhi of lying about India abroad and showing no regard for his responsibility as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. “It is not appropriate for him to have enmity with India and maintain brotherhood with George Soros and Ilhan Omar. People of India will never forgive him,” he added.

Separately, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Rahul Gandhi of having repeated links with what he termed an “anti-India lobby” operating overseas. In a post on X, Bhandari shared a photograph of Gandhi with US lawmakers Jan Schakowsky and Ilhan Omar, claiming such interactions damage India’s image globally.

Bhandari alleged that in 2024, Schakowsky met Rahul Gandhi in the United States along with Ilhan Omar, whom he described as anti-India. He further claimed that in January 2025, Schakowsky reintroduced the “Combating International Islamophobia Act”, naming India and alleging crackdowns on Muslim communities, and later wrote to the Indian government in 2026 raising concerns over Khalid, who is accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

“Every time an anti-India narrative is peddled abroad, Rahul Gandhi’s name keeps recurring in the background,” Bhandari alleged.

The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, while addressing students at the Hertie School in Berlin during his five-day visit to Germany, criticised the BJP-led central government and reiterated his claim that the ruling party is “capturing” institutions and attacking India’s democratic system.

Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad also condemned Mamdani’s note to Khalid. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal alleged that Mamdani insulted the Quran by defending “criminals who talk about dividing India”. He said US lawmakers and the New York City mayor remain silent on attacks against Hindus and temples, both in Bangladesh and the United States.

Bansal criticised Mamdani for supporting Khalid without ascertaining facts and asked him to introspect. “Standing by killers is not right. The newly elected mayor, who took an oath on the Quran, is insulting it,” he said.

Umar Khalid and others have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being masterminds behind the February 2020 Delhi riots, which claimed 53 lives and left over 700 injured. Under the UAPA, securing bail is difficult as the burden lies on the accused to prove that the case against them is false.