Umar Khalid’s Father Says He Met Mamdani For 25 Minutes
NEW DELHI-Amid the controversy over a handwritten letter from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to imprisoned student activist Umar Khalid, the latter’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, on January 2 disclosed that he met the mayor during a visit to the US last month.
Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Umar Khalid’s father and a spokesperson for the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board said Mamdani penned a letter in support of Umar Khalid and handed it over to him. He also recalled that around two years ago, Mamdani had read out excerpts from Umar Khalid’s prison diary, for which he expressed his gratitude.
According to Ilyas, he said it was extremely unfortunate that a promising young man who campaigned against the CAA and NRC and raised issues related to tribals and Dalits has been kept in jail for nearly five years without trial or bail.
Umar Khalid’s father also spoke about Mamdani’s assurance of all possible assistance, adding that the New York mayor had met two US Congressmen who assured support in the matter.
It was after this meeting that Mamdani sent his message through a handwritten note, which later went viral on social media.
On the issue of Umar Khalid’s bail, Ilyas said he was present during the recent arguments in the Supreme Court and hoped that a positive outcome would emerge soon.
Umar Khalid, a Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist, has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots.
When asked whether he wanted Mamdani to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, Ilyas said he had neither expressed such a desire nor made any such request.
“This is an internal matter of the country and should be resolved within the country itself,” he said.
Speaking about the situation of Muslims in India, Ilyas said there was no doubt that the prevailing attitude towards the community was a matter of concern.
“They are being discriminated against, their houses are being bulldozed, and Muslim youth are being implicated in false cases, while no action is being taken against those who make inflammatory statements against the community,” he said, adding that such developments do not project a good image of India. (IANS)
