Umar Khalid (L), Zohran Mamdani (R)

NEW DELHI: Student activist Umar Khalid, who has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the Feb 2020 Delhi riots, has received a show of solidarity from New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, who wrote to him, saying, "we are all thinking of you".The note, undated, was shared on X by Khalid's partner Banojyotsna Lahiri on Thursday, after Mamdani was sworn in as mayor in a midnight ceremony.

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In the handwritten note, Mamdani said: "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." TOI reached out to Mamdani's office about the note; there was no response at the time of going to press.

Mamdani's letter to Umar Khalid

Khalid, a former JNU student, was arrested in Sept 2020 and charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly conspiring to incite riots in Delhi, charges he has consistently denied. Khalid was granted temporary bail in Dec to attend his sister's wedding.Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, told TOI that the family met Mamdani early Dec last year during a visit to the United States to meet Khalid’s sister.

Ilyas said he had sought time from Mamdani to congratulate him on his appointment and ended up meeting him and his wife for around half an hour. “He gave us time exclusively and we discussed many things, including Umar’s incarceration. We hoped he would fulfil the promises he has made for the people of New York,” he said.“We also spoke about what has been happening to my son and the developments around his case. Mamdani said he follows it and has read Umar’s letters from jail,” he added.“This prolonged incarceration itself is unjust, and that is why it has attracted international attention,” Lahiri said.Ilyas said he also met Democrat Jamie Raskin of the US Congress separately. “He raised concerns over Umar’s arrest and extended support,” he said. “I told him the matter is currently before Supreme Court and the family is positive about a favourable outcome.” Raskin shared a photograph online with Ilyas and his wife.Raskin, along with three other US Congress members, wrote to India’s ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, on Dec 30, expressing concern over Khalid’s continued pre-trial detention. The lawmakers said Khalid has been denied bail for five years under UAPA, arguing that the “pre-trial treatment to which he has been subjected is punitive in and of itself”.