NEW DELHI, Jan. 2 -- New York City's Indian-origin mayor, Zohran Mamdani has sent a handwritten letter to jailed activist Umar Khalid.

In the letter addressed to Khalid, Mamdani said, "Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you."

The 34-year-old, who became the city's first Asian American and Muslim mayor last year, handed over the note to Khalid's parents when he met them during their trip to the US in December 2025.

On Thursday, the day Mamdani was sworn in, Khalid's partner, Bunojyotsana Lahiri, shared a photo of the note in a post on X.

Lahiri told HT that Umar's parents - Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qa...