Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is under fire for what critics call a growing ‘Hindu problem,’ with Hindu-American leaders accusing him of divisive rhetoric and hostility toward their community.
Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens, has sparked outrage for remarks that many Hindus say cross the line into bigotry. He previously labeled Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Hindu-American elected to the body, a puppet of “Hindu fascists.” In 2020, Mamdani attended a Times Square protest against the construction of a Hindu temple in India, where activists around him chanted “all Hindus are bastards.”
The backlash has intensified as Hindu leaders publicly warn about the candidate’s rhetoric. LaGuardia Community College professor Lakshmi Bandlamudi said she was “disappointed and shocked” by Mamdani’s rise, calling him “ethically unsound.” She added, “His comments on Hindus and Jews are terrifying, and it adds fuel to the already existing fire.”
Community members have also noted Mamdani’s silence after vandals destroyed a Gandhi statue outside a Queens temple, even as other city leaders condemned the act. Critics highlight his fiery denunciations of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “fascist” and “war criminal,” saying the attacks import foreign sectarian disputes into New York politics.
“He’s definitely offensive and dangerous, too. Hindus are upset,” said Hemant Patel, a Hindu rights activist from Chicago. Suhag Shukla of the Hindu American Foundation added that Mamdani’s “liberal use of the terms ‘extremist’ and ‘fascist’ in the context of Hindu American leaders, and Hindu symbols and places of worship is deeply troubling.”
As one activist, Satya Dosapati, put it: “If you are a responsible politician, you have to be careful in what you say. You don’t just shoot your mouth. He’s a dangerous [expletive].”
