In a pointed reaction to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s letter to jailed activist Umar Khalid, India on Friday said that elected representatives must respect the independence of the judiciary in other democratic countries.
“We expect public representatives to be respectful of the independence of the judiciary in other democracies. Expressing personal prejudices does not behove those in office. Instead of such comments, it would be better to focus on the responsibilities entrusted to them,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing.
Earlier this month, a photograph of Mamdani’s handwritten note to Khalid was shared on X by Khalid’s friend Banojyotsna Lahiri, on the same day Mamdani was formally sworn in as mayor.
In the note addressed to Khalid, 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.”
According to media reports, the note was passed on to Khalid’s parents when Mamdani met them during their visit to the United States in December 2025. Lahiri told The Hindustan Times that Khalid’s parents, Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had travelled to the US ahead of their youngest daughter’s wedding to meet another daughter living there who was unable to travel to India.
On January 5, the Supreme Court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, observing that a prima facie case existed against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria ruled that delays in trial cannot act as a “trump card” to override statutory safeguards.
