Respect judiciary, India tells New York mayor Zohran Mamdani on Umar Khalid note

Responding to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani writing a note to jailed activist Umar Khalid in December, the Indian government on Friday said that public representatives are expected to respect the independence of the judiciary in other democracies.

“Expressing personal prejudices do not behove those in office,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing. “Instead of such comments, it would be better to focus on the responsibilities entrusted to them.”

On January 1, Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri said on social media that Mamdani had sent a handwritten note to the jailed activist. The letter was handed to Khalid’s parents during their visit to the United States in December.