The BJP accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of "interfering" in India's internal matters. The reaction came after Mamdani wrote a thoughtful note to jailed activist and ex-JNU scholar Umar Khalid. BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli Mamdani to cast aspersions on the country's democracy and judiciary. He asserted that India will not tolerate it, referring to Khalid as the one who believes in breaking India apart.
Umar Khalid and other Muslim activists have been languishing in jail without trial for over five years. He was picked up in connection with the Delhi riots case in 2020. The nationwide anti-CAA protests turned violent in northeast Delhi in February 2020. Those who supported the law clashed with the dissenters as the Delhi police stood on standby. Meanwhile, a group of US lawmakers wrote to India's Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra, urging a fair and timely trial for Khalid in "accordance with international law".