NYC mayoral hopeful Mamdani faces sharp jabs from within South Asian community

If elected, Democrat Zohran Mamdani would be the first Asian American and Muslim mayor to lead New York City. While his campaign won over many of New York City’s immigrant communities, he’s facing some of his fiercest criticism from South Asian voters who claim he is anti-Hindu, pointing to policy positions and foreign policy statements.

Mamdani —who was born in Uganda to Indian parents, his father Muslim and his mother Hindu — and his campaign have received a high volume of Islamophobic attacks, including from Hindus in India and in the diaspora, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate.

“This message spans both U.S.-based far-right accounts and accounts based in South Asia,” the report states, “showing how a local New York race becomes fuel for a globalized grievance network.”

One of the more extreme examples was on display at a community event at the Gujarati Samaj, a cultural center in Queens last week. Kajal Hindusthani, a controversial Hindu speaker from India, told the event's 350 attendees that Mamdani is “a new demon” who stands in the way of righteous rule – or “Ram Rajya” – for Hindus.



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