Key points
- Mamdani condemns Modi’s role in Gujarat riots
- Becomes first Muslim Mayor of New York
- Trump opposes Mamdani, calls him a communist
ISLAMABAD: A video of Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected Mayor of New York, has gone viral on social media, where he was asked whether he would share a stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mamdani swiftly responded, stating that he would never do so, and went on to refer to the 2002 Gujarat riots. He said that as the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time, Modi played a role in the “mass killing of Muslims in Gujarat.”
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Mamdani further compared Modi to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that both should be viewed in the same light, calling Modi a “war criminal.” Mamdani, a Muslim of South Asian descent, made history by becoming the first Muslim to be elected as Mayor of New York.
Election campaign
During the election campaign, Mamdani, who ran as an independent candidate, faced stiff opposition from former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
US President Donald Trump strongly opposed Mamdani’s candidacy, labelling him a communist, threatening to have him arrested, and even warning that Trump would withhold funding from New York if Mamdani won.
The 34-year-old self-proclaimed socialist democrat’s victory has been seen as a significant blow to President Trump, marking one of the most important elections since Trump began his second term in office.
According to the Election Commission, more than 2 million votes were cast citywide, the highest in a mayoral election since 1969.
