Mamdani, a Muslim of Gujarati heritage and son of filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani, has been vocal about his criticism of Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them comparable leaders.
His remarks drew backlash from BJP supporters, including Kangana Ranaut, after he reiterated his stance and quoted Jawaharlal Nehru in his New York victory speech.
India loves to celebrate the success of India origin Americans, whether in the corporate world, entertainment, academics, politics or even young Indian-Americans winning a spelling competition. Usha Vance, the Second Lady, Kamala Harris the former US Vice President who became the Democratic candidate against Donald Trump were all written about and celebrated. However, reaction to Zohran Mamdani, the 34 year old son of Indian origin parents, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor, and Mira Nair, a filmmaker, is muted and somewhat less effusive. Perhaps now that he has won that would change.
Mamdani is Muslim and of Gujarati heritage. He was raised in Uganda and South Africa before coming to New York by age 7 and growing up in Queens. Mamdani is not apologetic of being either a Muslim or an immigrant but embraces it.
During his campaign among South Asians in New York he mouthed dialogue from Amitabh Bachchan’s blockbuster movies in video clips that appealed to all South Asians. Underscoring his multicultural background he spoke in fluent Hindi, Spanish and a smattering of Bengali in his campaign videos .
As is well known he is a critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has brought up the Gujarat riots of 2002, when asked during a campaign stop whether he would share a platform with Narendra Modi, he said no, and went on to explain the reason for that. He said that Modi and Netanyahu were in the same category.
He went on to compare Modi to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating, “this is someone we should view in the same manner that we do Benjamin Netanyahu”. This has angered many in India, where PM Modi remains the most popular political leader. BJP MP and film star Kangana Ranault, who said : “He [Mamdani] sounds more Pakistani than Indian… whatever happened to his Hindu identity or bloodline,” she posted on X, adding that “now he is ready to wipe out Hinduism.”
What is more, Mamdani in his victory speech in New York today also quoted Jawaharlal Nehru, a no, no for Modi supporters. "A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance," Mamdani quoted from
Nehru’s speech in 1947, adding that New York has stepped from the old into the new.
