(MENAFN- Live Mint) Zohran Mamdani went Hindu temple hopping in New York on Monday, days after heated backlash over his previous post on the Ayodhya Ram Temple. He is the Democratic candidate for New York City's mayoral race.

After visiting two of the oldest Hindu temples in Flushing, Zohran boasted about his Hindu heritage and said,“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.”

He expressed how the Hindu faith of his maternal family has shaped his own values, particularly through Hindu traditions like Diwali , Raksha Bandhan, and Holi.

Also Read | Trump slams Mamdani's communist agenda, says he won't get federal funding

“The stories that I learned, the tradition, the faith, the practices...it's one thing that taught me many of the values that I hold so dear today,” he said.

Zohran shared that he grew up with a“keen understanding” of what Hinduism means, whilst being a Muslim himself.

'First star in the sky'

The NYC mayoral candidate revealed that his name, Zohran, was inspired by his mother, Mira Nair, who told him it means“the first star in the sky.”

Also Read | Zohran Mamdani leads NYC mayoral race amid split opposition, poll finds 'Proud to be an Indian-American'

Zohran Mamdani said that he is proud to be an Indian-American, adding that the prominent temples safeguarded the freedom of religion not only for Hindus in New York but for all of New Yorkers.

“For Gujaratis, Punjabis, for Indians across the city and the world, I would not be here, were it not the family that raised me and the family that taught me the values, the ideals I hold,” he said.“Those are values and ideals that make me proud to be an Indian-American.”

Also Read | Zohran Mamdani accused of fuelling anti-Hindu sentiment, video goes viral Controversial post

Earlier this year, Zohran Mamdani found himself at the centre of controversy after an old video surfaced showing him leading a protest against India's ruling BJP government. The New York protest opposed the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the subsequent rise of Hindu nationalism.

Mamdani, in a social media post marking the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, condemned the BJP and referred to the destruction of the mosque as an“atrocity.”

As tensions surrounding his past views resurface, Zohran has continued to defend his stance against rising nationalism and fascism.

MENAFN06102025007365015876ID1110158232