New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has penned a personal note to imprisoned Indian activist Umar Khalid.
The note was posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter) by Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, with the caption, "Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid. December 2025."
The handwritten note signed by Mamdani said, "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."
Khalid and few others have been booked under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
Meanwhile, a group of US lawmakers have written to Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra, urging that Khalid be granted bail and a “fair, timely trial in accordance with international law."
US lawmakers have pointed out that human rights organisations, legal experts, and global media have raised questions about the charges levied under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, citing potential contraventions of international standards of equality, due process, and proportionality, according to news agency PTI.
Although the matter is currently before the Supreme Court of India, the US lawmakers welcomed the temporary bail granted to Khalid to attend his sister's wedding and urged that he be released on bail for the duration of the court's proceedings. They requested that the Indian government share steps being taken to ensure that the judicial proceedings against Khalid and his co-accused meet international standards, while expressing respect for India's democratic institutions and its partnership with the US, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City on Jan. 1. In addition to being the city's first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city's youngest mayor in generations.
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