NEW DELHI: A handwritten letter by Indian-American politician Zohran Mamdani to the parents of jailed JNU activist Umar Khalid went viral on social media on Thursday night, triggering a political storm online. While members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) slammed Mamdani’s outreach as “interference,” Khalid’s close friend and activist Banijyotsana Lahiri responded by underlining the power of global solidarity, saying it “does not see borders or prison bars” and often arrives from across the world when voices at home are silenced.
The letter shared on social media platform X by Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri, was accompanied by the caption, “When prisons try to isolate, words travel. Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid.”
In the brief handwritten message, Mamdani expressed support for Khalid and his family, writing that he often reflected on Khalid’s words about not allowing bitterness to take over. He also mentioned having met Khalid’s parents and conveyed that many people were thinking of him.
The post drew strong criticism from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which described Mamdani’s outreach as inappropriate interference. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal alleged that Mamdani had defended what he termed “criminals who talk about dividing India” and accused the New York City mayor of failing to verify facts before expressing solidarity.
Bansal also criticized US lawmakers who have written to India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, urging that Khalid be granted bail.
According to the VHP, such expressions of concern reflect selective outrage. Bansal claimed that US politicians remain silent on attacks on Hindus and temples abroad while speaking out on Indian cases. He further questioned Mamdani’s intent, stating that the mayor should “introspect” before making such gestures.
Responding to the criticism, activist and close friend of Khalid, Banojyotsna Lahiri, defended Mamdani’s letter as an expression of global solidarity. She said that people who fight for justice often stand together across borders, especially when voices are silenced at home.
“Solidarity does not see borders or prison bars. People who fight for justice will always stand in solidarity with each other. Meanwhile there will always be people who will be against justice and will slam such incidents,” said Bano.
She added, “It is like the way we stand up for Palestine, Queer rights, Human rights irrespective of the fact that it is happening in some corner of the world and not on our own land so these words coming from Zohran Mamdani for Umar is that similar emotion. This show of solidarity from Mamdani should not be viewed as unusual.”