Hindu right-wing targets Mamdani as he nears historic mayoral bid
In May, Mamdani publicly labeled Modi a “war criminal,” citing the 2002 Gujarat riots that occurred under Modi’s watch
NEW YORK (MNTV) – Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim politician on the verge of becoming New York City’s first Muslim mayor, is facing an escalating campaign of opposition—one that stretches across continents and ties him to global religious and political tensions.
Two days before the Democratic mayoral primary in June, a plane flew over the Statue of Liberty pulling a striking message: “Save NYC from global intifada. Reject Mamdani.”
The banner, in bold five-foot letters, appeared to be aimed at Jewish voters concerned about Mamdani’s criticism of Israel.
But the campaign didn’t originate from Jewish or Israeli groups—it was launched by Indian-American Hindus who have accused Mamdani of promoting an anti-Hindu, anti-India agenda, as reported by the The New York Times.
Their anger centers around Mamdani’s outspoken criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A democratic socialist and the son of Ugandan-born scholar Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, Mamdani has long condemned Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics, which many believe come at the expense of India’s Muslim minority.
In May, Mamdani publicly labeled Modi a “war criminal,” citing the 2002 Gujarat riots that occurred under Modi’s watch.
He has also urged that Modi be denied entry into the U.S., and pressured fellow politicians to reject donations from individuals he described as “Hindu fascists.”
As The New York Times reports, the backlash against Mamdani is being fueled both in India and the United States. In India, pro-Modi media have turned Mamdani into a symbol of alleged anti-Hindu bias, amplifying their attacks through television and social media.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., some Indian-American groups with ideological or political ties to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are working more discreetly—mobilizing support for Mamdani’s opponents and funding campaigns designed to discredit him.
Mamdani’s candidacy has thus become a flashpoint in a transnational struggle over identity, religion, and diaspora politics—one in which far-right Hindu groups see his rise as a threat not only to New York’s political status quo, but to their vision of India itself.
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