New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani calls PM Modi “war criminal”

Guwahati: New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has sparked controversy with his strong criticism of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Indian-origin politician, who has often spoken on global human rights issues, accused Modi of being responsible for the 2002 Gujarat riots, calling him a “war criminal.”

Mamdani alleged that “Narendra Modi helped orchestrate a mass slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat,” and falsely claimed that “Muslims were eradicated from Gujarat during the riots.”

He has also accused the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of promoting religious intolerance and undermining India’s secular values.

In a social media post, Mamdani described the Babri Masjid demolition as “an atrocity instigated by the BJP” and criticised Hindu nationalist groups for celebrating the event in New York.

He said his criticism was directed at “Modi and the BJP’s vision of an India that only welcomes certain kinds of Indians.”

Mamdani has frequently expressed concern that India’s democratic and pluralistic character is being weakened under the current government, linking its politics to “majoritarianism” and “exclusionary nationalism.”