Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, and eight other American politicians have shown support for the anti-Hindi Delhi riots accused and Burhan Wani fanboy Umar Khalid. Mamdani’s undated note read, “Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume oneself. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you.” It was shared by Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, on 1st January after Mamdani took the oath of office using the Quran.
Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid.
— banojyotsna … (@banojyotsna) January 1, 2026
December 2025. #FreeUmarKhalid#FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners pic.twitter.com/QTYe06cRp5
On the other hand, 8 Democrats officially reached out to India’s ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, to ask for the release of Umar Khalid on bail, alleging that the authorities have unjustly incarcerated him. The group included rabid anti-India Islamist Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Pramila Jayapal, Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern, Jamie Raskin, Chris Van Hollen and Peter Welch.
The letter stated, “We write to you as Members of the United States Congress to express our continued concern regarding the prolonged pre-trial detention of individuals charged in connection with the February 2020 violence in Delhi, including student activist and scholar Umar Khalid.”
It then invoked the “longstanding strategic partnership” between the US and India to assert that the ties have always been based on democratic principles, constitutional government and close interpersonal relationships. The lawmakers stated that both countries, being the biggest democracies in the world, have a stake in preserving “freedom, the rule of law, human rights, and pluralism,” and hence they brought up the issue “in this spirit.”
#BREAKING: 8 U.S. lawmakers have written a letter urging Government of India to grant bail and a fair trial to Umar Khalid as per international law. Umar Khalid’s parents had earlier met some U.S. politicians in December. Umar Khalid’s father is a former SIMI member. pic.twitter.com/l5MxJA6iO3
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 1, 2026
The letter insisted that the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were “peaceful,” while adding that the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights referred to the law as “fundamentally discriminatory.” It then alleged, “In February 2020, following calls for retaliation against protesters, mobs attacked Delhi’s Muslim communities. In the resulting communal violence, 53 people were killed, 40 of whom were Muslims.”
The politicians claimed that the authorities charged Khalid and several Muslim human rights advocates for inciting the violence; however, concerns over the fairness of the inquiry alongside the legal process have been voiced by human rights organisations, legal professionals, and international media. They argued that the veracity of the evidence, secret witness statements and a misinterpreted speech, used to accuse him of terrorism, is doubtful.
The letter subsequently declared, “Independent investigations conducted by reputable human rights groups did not find evidence linking Khalid to terrorist activity. He has been detained without bail for five years for charges levied under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which independent human rights experts have warned may contravene international standards of equality before the law, due process, and proportionality.”
It stressed that India is required by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to protect people’s rights to “trial within a reasonable time or to (be released)” and “to be presumed innocent until proved guilty.”
The lawmakers contended, “In contravention to this obligation, individuals charged under the UAPA are not granted the presumption of innocence. Further, judges may deny bail to individuals charged under the UAPA at their discretion,” and quoted a Supreme Court verdict expressing that “bail should be granted when there is a long period of incarceration.” They charged that the pre-trial treatment Khalid has received is punishing, although he has not been found guilty of a crime.
The statement further stressed, “We also note that several of the individuals accused in these cases, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Khalid Saifi, among others, have been identified as victims of freedom of religion or belief violations by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan, independent body of the US government. This finding reflects the concern that their continued incarceration may be linked to their religious identity as Muslims and their exercise of protected rights.”
The latter lauded Khalid’s temporary bail for his sister’s wedding and acknowledged that these issues are currently being considered by the Supreme Court of India. It did, however, demand that he be released on bond for the length of the court’s proceedings.
The politicians submitted, “With respect for India’s democratic institutions and its role as a key partner of the United States, we request that your government share the steps being taken to ensure that the judicial proceedings against Umar Khalid and those of his co-accused who remain in detention comport with international standards.”
Khalid, son of Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, who is a former member of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), has been imprisoned for almost five years in relation to the riots in Delhi in February 2020 following the emergence of his involvement in the violence, and the court has repeatedly refused to grant him bail owing to his deep involvement.
