BJP Questions CM’s Proposed Meeting With Zohran Mamdani
He recalled Mamdani’s participation in a Pakistan Day celebration in New York
HYDERABAD: Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Saturday said the ministry of external affairs was right to deny clearance to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s proposed US visit, alleging he intended to meet “anti‑India forces” linked to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ideological mentors. Rao claimed that Revanth Reddy sought a meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose past positions on India had sparked controversy. Rao asked why this meeting was not disclosed in the CM’s itinerary, and what business he had in seeking such an engagement.
He recalled Mamdani’s participation in a Pakistan Day celebration in New York, his role in a 2020 Times Square protest against the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan in Ayodhya, and his mobilisation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit in 2023, when he made remarks on the Gujarat riots that drew criticism. Rao noted that criticism of Mamdani was not confined to the BJP. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said, “When Zohran Mamdani opens his mouth, Pakistan’s PR team takes the day off,” adding that India does not need enemies with “allies” like him “shouting fiction from New York.”
“Will Revanth Reddy listen to his own senior Congress colleague?” Rao asked, stressing that Telangana’s people have a right to know why their CM wanted to meet a person whose positions on India and issues tied to the sentiments of millions have repeatedly courted controversy. He demanded an explanation from Revanth Reddy, saying if the visit was official and meant to attract investments, the CM must clarify what benefit such a meeting would bring to Telangana.