**Mumbai:**
Almost a month ahead of the New York City mayoral elections, Indian-American politician Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic candidate, found himself embroiled in controversy over his visit to temples in the city.
Mamdani faced criticism online after a picture surfaced showing him wearing shoes inside a temple. Notably, others seen alongside him in the photo were barefoot. The image is reportedly from Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam in New York City, where Mamdani had visited as part of his campaign efforts ahead of the mayoral polls.
“I’m proud of my Hindu heritage, I’m proud to be someone who would be the first Muslim mayor of this city, and I’m proud to hold all of those things together,” Mamdani was quoted saying by NepYork, a New York-based news portal.
“I am proud that I would be the first Indian-American mayor of this city. I am proud of the fact that my mother’s family is Hindu. And I grew up with a keen understanding, whilst myself being a Muslim, what Hinduism means. The stories that I learned, the tradition, the faith, the practices,” he further told reporters.
**Netizens’ Reactions**
The incident sparked a wave of reactions on social media. Many criticized Mamdani for wearing shoes inside the temple.
“Zohran Mamdani is not a Hindu. He may not have known that we do not wear shoes inside the temple. He clearly does not want to follow others who are with him and are not wearing the shoes. It was the responsibility of this photo op seeking group to demand he takes off his shoes and respects Hindu tradition and faith at least inside a temple,” wrote prominent columnist Sunanda Vashist.
Another user commented, “Comparing the group photo of Zohran Mamdani & others in Flushing temple with the below picture, one can easily understand that he was allowed to go deep inside the @nyganeshtemple with shoes. Neither the temple management seems to have appraised him of the Hindu Temple customs, nor did he bother to ask and understand.”
However, several others pointed out that the place where Mamdani was standing was outside the temple.
“You might not be a Hindu if you didn’t know that the dwaja stambha is outside of the temple,” one X user clarified.
**Who Is Zohran Mamdani?**
In June this year, Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary, defeating veteran politician Andrew Cuomo.
Born in Uganda to Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran moved to New York at the age of seven. He became a naturalized US citizen in 2018 and married a Syrian artist earlier this year.
Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a housing counselor, helping low-income families fight eviction. In 2020, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he describes himself as a “democratic socialist.”
https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/not-a-hindu-zohran-mamdani-faces-flak-for-visiting-temple-in-shoes-during-new-york-city-mayoral-poll-campaign