Umar Khalid Case: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s comments in the legal case related to Umar Khalid, accused of conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots, have now become a cause of controversy for him. The Indian government has taken a strong stand on this and has clearly said that they should focus on the responsibility entrusted by the people of New York and should avoid commenting on the internal affairs of other countries on the basis of bias.

In fact, after assuming the charge of the post of Mayor of New York, an old letter of Zoharan Mamdani became public, in which he expressed sympathy for Omar Khalid and tried to raise questions on the judiciary of India. In this letter, comment was made on the judicial process while ignoring the serious allegations against Khalid, which evoked a sharp reaction in India.

‘Respect the independence of the judiciary’
On Friday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, commenting on the Mayor of New York without naming him, said, ‘We expect public representatives to respect the independence of the judiciary in democracies of other countries.’ He also indicated that such comments are inappropriate and people holding responsible positions should exercise restraint. It is noteworthy that in December last year, Umar Khalid’s father had met Mamdani in New York, during which he was given a note, over which there has been controversy earlier also.

‘Focus on the responsibilities given’
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a strict tone that persons holding responsible positions should not make their personal biases public. According to the ministry, instead of making such comments, it would be better that they focus on the responsibilities that have been assigned to them.

Wrote a note for Umar Khalid
It is said that in the note of Zoharan Mamdani which had gone viral, he had written while expressing sympathy towards Umar Khalid, lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, ‘We are all thinking about you.’ This comment came at a time when Umar Khalid is facing serious allegations related to the conspiracy of Delhi riots. Recently, the Supreme Court had also flatly refused to grant him bail. Although the other five accused in the Delhi riots have been granted bail with strict conditions after five years, the country’s Supreme Court has not considered it appropriate to keep Umar Khalid and his alleged associate Sharjeel Imam out of jail.

Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who is absconding from the country, publicly apologized on Monday (29 December 2025) for one of his controversial social media posts. This apology came after the video in which Lalit Modi and fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya were seen together. Lalit Modi, in a message shared on social media platform He wrote that he fully respects the government and his statement was misinterpreted.

Lalit Modi said in his post, ‘If anything of mine has hurt anyone’s sentiments, especially the Indian government, then I apologize for it. My point was misinterpreted and portrayed as something it did not mean. Once again I apologize.

I apologize if I have hurt anyone’s feelings especially the Indian Government who I have the highest respect and regard for. The statement was misinterpreted and was never intended to be as played out. Once again my deepest apologies

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) December 29, 2025

Controversy arose over video with Vijay Mallya

This controversy started when a video went viral on social media last week, in which Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya were seen together. This video was allegedly from Vijay Mallya’s birthday celebration. In the video, Lalit Modi had described himself and Mallya as the two biggest fugitives of India. While sharing this video on Instagram, Lalit Modi wrote the caption: Break the Internet. Happy birthday my friend #VijayMallya.

Strong reaction on social media

As soon as the video surfaced, sharp reactions were seen on social media. Many users accused both of them of making fun of the Indian law and order system. After criticism increased, Lalit Modi gave clarification and said that his words have been distorted. However, despite apologizing, Lalit Modi did not remove the video.

Indian government’s strict stance

It is noteworthy that earlier the Ministry of External Affairs had made it clear that the Government of India will make every possible effort to bring back the economic criminals and fugitives absconding from the country. In such a situation, this video and statement related to Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya is being considered very sensitive from political and legal point of view.

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