New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has never shied away from voicing his criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the occasion of Diwali, the Democratic assemblyman again took a dig at the key politician, while owning up his past controversial statements. As now also circulating on social media, the clip captures a scene of the Diwali celebrations held at the Trimurthi Bhavan Mandir in Ozone Park, New York.

Zohran Mamdani takes a dig at PM Narendra Modi

“I have been critical of Modi because I grew up with a vision of an India where everyone belonged,” said Mamdani, who’s previously compared the Indian PM to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and called him a “war criminal.”

In the same breath, he highlighted that he grew up with a vision that depicted India as being “pluralistic,” where “everyone belonged no matter their religion.” Further dissecting his critique of Modi and the BJP party in the India, he added “Modi and the BJP have room only for certain kinds of Indians,” during a temple visit while reconnecting with Hindu heritage on the Festival on Lights.

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“Pluralism is something to be celebrated, something to be strived for,” he went on. At the same time, Mamdani acknowledged that while he was running to be the mayor of New York City, not everyone’s views about India and PM Modi aligned with his own. “Eight and a half million people… many of whom may feel differently than me about Mr Modi, and that’s their right and I will look to represent them all the same,” he said.

As the son of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair, he further attributed the decision to his “responsibility” to “New Yorkers… to ensure that they are safe… to ensure that they can afford this city, and to ensure that they are not just protected, but are celebrated in that same city.” Alluding to the same sense of “pluralism” he talked about initially, he added, “It’s the lesson I’ve learned of being a part of the Indian diaspora.”

Ahead of the November 4 election, undertook a temple trip in Queen this week, visiting multiple places of worship associated with the Hindu faith. If elected next month, he will not only become NYC’s first Muslim mayor, but also the first Indian-American to clinch that title.

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Zohran Mamdani celebrates Diwali in New York temples

Mamdani’s visits this week included prayers at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir and Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam, aka the Ganesh Temple in Flushing, as per American Kahani. During one such outing, he confessed, “To be here with you is so special to me because when I meet the members of this mandir, I hear the names of my own family.”

Moreover, he also told reporters while visiting Ganesh Temple, “The stories… and practices of Diwali, Holi, and Raksha Bandhan taught me many of the values I hold so dear today. My mother’s family is Hindu. Even while being Muslim myself, I grew up with a deep understanding of what Hinduism means,” according to India West.

Mamdani’s previous comments against Modi

The NYC mayoral hopeful has long positioned himself as a “Modi-hater.” Earlier this year, he drew comparisons between the Indian PM and Netanyahu, while alluding to the 2002 Gujarat riots. At the time, he was asked he was willing to join the Indian leader for a press conference following his Madison Square Garden rally.

Mamdani firmly replied, “No,” and went on to accused Modi of being instrumental in orchestrating “what was a mass slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat.”

He added, “To the extent that we don’t even believe there are Gujarati Muslims anymore… And this is someone we should view in the same manner that we do Benjamin Netanyahu, this is a war criminal.”