Indian far right activists have turned their fire on Zohran Mamdani, the Muslim progressive who stunned New York politics by winning the Democratic primary for mayor on 25 June.
Messages on social media and speeches at community events accuse him of being a “jihadi” and warn that electing him would turn the city into “another Pakistan.”
At a packed gathering in Queens last week, Indian far right speaker Kajal Shingala called the 33 year old candidate a “jihadi zombie,” drawing loud applause from hundreds of attendees.
Shingala’s remarks, echoing her online posts that label Muslim men as terrorists and “love jihadists,” were hosted by the Gujarati Samaj and backed by several Hindu groups.
Indian far right backlash grows after Mamdani brands Modi a ‘war criminal’
Much of the anger traces back to a mayoral forum where Mamdani described the 2002 Gujarat riots as a “mass slaughter” of Muslims and called India’s current prime minister, Narendra Modi, a “war criminal.”
Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat, was barred from entering the United States for nearly a decade over human rights concerns.
Shingala used her Queens speech to revive long debunked claims that Muslims pose a threat to Hindus, urging listeners to boycott Muslim businesses and keep their daughters away from Muslim men.
She also suggested New York would mirror London where Mayor Sadiq Khan has faced years of Islamophobic abuse, if Mamdani wins in November.
Audrey Truschke, a historian of South Asia at Rutgers University Newark, called the attacks “a predictable display of depraved bigotry.”
Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, ran on promises of a citywide rent freeze, taxpayer funded childcare, and free rapid bus service.
His campaign galvanized support from New York’s 600,000 strong South Asian community and broader progressive circles, overcoming early polls that placed him at just one percent.
Analysts note that the clash highlights a widening political divide within the Indian American diaspora.
While many South Asians celebrated Mamdani’s victory as a sign of growing diversity in US politics, nationalist groups aligned with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party see his outspoken criticism of the Indian government as an affront.
With five months until the general election, observers expect the Indian far right to intensify its campaign against Mamdani, framing his faith and policies as threats to Hindu interests.
For now, his supporters say they will counter hate speech with a larger coalition of voters who back progressive change in New York City.
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