The recently appointed Mumbai BJP chief, Ameet Satam, has stirred controversy after reacting to the historic mayoral victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, warning that a “Khan” should not become the mayor of Mumbai.
In a post on X, Satam, who is also the MLA from Andheri West, referred to Mamdani’s win as a signal of politics that he believes could be replicated in Mumbai. “Just as the colour of some international cities is changing, after seeing the surnames of some mayors and witnessing the Maha Vikas Aghadi's vote jihad, it seems necessary to stay cautious in the context of Mumbai… If someone tries to impose a ‘Khan’ on Mumbai, it will not be tolerated! Wake up, Mumbaikars!” he wrote.
An NDTV report said that Satam defended his comments were about protecting Mumbai from political forces that, in his view, divide society along religious lines. “Some people are adopting the path of appeasement to maintain political power. It is necessary to protect Mumbai from such forces that have previously tried to divide society,” he said, adding that he believes in religious harmony but will oppose anyone seeking to divide the city.
He added he believes in religious harmony, but "if anyone tries to divide society by adopting an anti-national stance, we will oppose them."
Anand Dubey, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, reacted to Ameet Satam's post, told ANI, “Ameet Satam’s mental state seems to have deteriorated. Since assuming office, he has been making bizarre statements about the Mumbai mayor’s post. May God give wisdom to people like him. I am confident a Marathi Hindu will become mayor, and under Satam’s leadership, the BJP is certain to be wiped out.”
Zohran Mamdani, 34, a state lawmaker and the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Indian-origin scholar Mahmood Mamdani, became New York City’s first Muslim, South Asian, and youngest mayor in a century. He defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, promising to prioritize working-class issues such as free childcare, rent freezes, and public transport.
Satam's comments come ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The civic polls, delayed since 2022, are now scheduled by the Supreme Court for January 31, 2026.
This is not the first time Satam has made such statements. In September, at the BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Melava attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Piyush Goyal, he had said, “The battle is to keep Mumbai safe. International countries are being infiltrated, and their colours are changing. Look at the surnames of mayors of some cities. Do we want that pattern in Mumbai?”
The remarks were seen as a reference to anti-immigration protests sweeping London and other Western countries. Satam's "surname" remark was likely a reference to London mayor Sadiq Khan, whose roots are in Pakistan.
