Johran Mamdani, a member of Indian origin New York State Assembly member, who has won the Democratic Primary for the post of Mayor of New York City, is facing heavy criticism for recent statements and old tweets. Mamdani has raised controversy by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘war criminal’ and questioning the democratic institutions of Hinduism and India. Mammadani claimed victory after securing 43.5% of the votes in Democratic Primary on 24 June 2025, but his comments have angered the Indian-American community and prominent personalities.
In May 2025, Mammadani described Modi on a public platform as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and questioned his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. His comments stated that Modi led the ‘Mass Slaughter’ against Muslims, which reduced the number of Gujarati Muslims. However, this claim is controversial, as the Supreme Court gave Modi a clean chit in riots. In addition, Mamdani participated in the protest against the Ram temple ceremony at Times Square in August 2020, where the mob raised derogatory slogans against Hindus and Lord Rama, but Mamdani did not oppose it.
Describing Mamdani’s comments as ‘Hate Speech’, Indian-American leader Jennifer Rajkumar said, “Hinduism is a symbol of peace, non-violence and inter-religious harmony. Our leader should build a bridge, not to break.” Sikh leader Jaspreet Singh also accused Mamdani of promoting anti -Hindu statements. On social media, some users described Mammadani as ‘hatred’, while others supported their progressive image.
Mamdani, who is the sons of Mira Nair and Mahmud Mamdani, attracted the youth by insisting their Muslim identity and progressive policies such as free bus service and fare control. However, his anti-Israeli stance and statements like ‘Globalize the Intifada’ have also angered the Jewish community. If Mamdani wins in the November 2025 election, he can become the first Muslim mayor of New York, but his statements have caused the electoral atmosphere to be hot.
