Mamdani Activates ‘Khalid Toolkit’, 8 US Lawmakers Lecture Indian Judiciary On Delhi Riot Accused Umar

New Delhi: In an open attempt to interfere in the Indian judiciary system, eight US lawmakers have written to India’s Ambassador in Washington, urging that jailed activist Umar Khalid be granted bail and a fair, timely trial.

Khalid, accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots, has been in custody for over five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with his trial yet to begin.

Led by US Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin, the letter meddling in India's judicial affairs, not only urges Indian authorities to grant bail to ‘Tukde Tukde’ activist Khalid, but also ensure that his trial begins without further delay. Other signatories of the letter include Chris Van Hollen, Peter Welch, Pramila Jayapal, Jan Schakowsky, Rashida Tlaib and Lloyd Doggett.

The ‘Khalid Toolkit’ 

While highlighting their "respect for India’s democratic institutions," the lawmakers questioned Indian judiciary and asked how Khalid’s continued detention without the commencement of trial aligns with international legal norms.

The lawmakers also lectured Indian judiciary on how judicial proceedings have not yet begun more than five years after the activist's arrest and also pressed New Delhi to ensure that Khalid is afforded due process and that his case is heard in a fair and timely manner.

The lawmakers, in an unwarranted intrusion, also flagged concerns over the prolonged use of pre-trial detention under India’s anti-terror law and its implications for civil liberties.

Highlighting what is seen as external meddling, the letter points out that eight members of the US Congress advocated for Umar Khalid by demanding a free and timely trial- a move viewed by many as an unwanted intrusion into India's internal affairs.

Highlighting further, McGovern batting for Khalid, amplified the appeal of seeking bail and timely trial of Khalid through social media post, and stated that he had met Khalid’s parents in Washington earlier this month. He added, “Earlier this month, I met with the parents of Umar Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over five years without trial."

Khalid’s parents, Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had travelled to the US ahead of the wedding of their youngest daughter to meet another daughter who resides there and was unable to travel to India. 

McGovern, meddling with Indian judicial process added he and Raskin were leading their colleagues in urging Indian authorities to grant Khalid bail and a fair, timely trial in accordance with international law.

Mamdani Bats For Riot Accused Umar Khalid

New York City’s Indian-origin mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who became the city’s first Asian American and Muslim mayor last year, also expressed solidarity with jailed activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid and wrote a letter to him .

Khalid's friend Banojyotsna Lahiri shared a photograph of the note 34-year-old Mamdani wrote to Khalid on social media platform X which read, “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 note was handed over to Khalid’s parents when Mamdani met them during their visit to the United States in December 2025, according to multiple media reports. 

Umar Khalid Bail

Khalid was granted interim bail by Delhi court last month from December 16 to 29 to attend his sister's wedding and he surrendered himself at Delhi’s Tihar jail on Sunday, December 29, after completing his period.

During the interim bail period, several conditions were imposed by the court where he was directed to meet only family members, relatives and friends and to remain at his home or at venues where the wedding ceremonies were scheduled to take place. A restriction on the use of social media was also imposed on the activist.

Khalid was also not allowed contact any witnesses in the case and was directed to surrender to prison authorities on the evening of December 29.

Last year, he was allowed seven days of interim bail to attend another wedding, and he was also granted comparable relief in 2022.

Umar Khalid's Role In Delhi Riots

A former student leader at Jawaharlal Nehru University, 38-year-old Umar Khalid was arrested in September 2020 for alleged conspiracy linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, which killed 53 people.

Prosecutors accuse him of being part of a broader plot to incite violence, allegations he has consistently denied.

The police have accused him and several other activists, including Sharjeel Imam, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab, of “instigating the riots.”

The courts have repeatedly denied them bail, stating “conspiratorial violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests by citizens couldn’t be allowed.”

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