'Not A Hindu': Zohran Mamdani Faces Flak For Visiting Temple In Shoes During New York City Mayoral Poll Campaign

Mumbai: Almost a month ahead of the New York City mayoral elections, Indian-American politician Zohran Mamdani, a democratic candidate, was embroiled in a controversy over his visit to temples in the city. Mamdani is facing flak online after his picture wearing shoes inside the temple surfaced online.

Notably, other people who were seen alongside Mamdani in the picture were not wearing shoes. The picture is reportedly from Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam in New York City.

Ahead of the mayoral polls, Mamdani visited two temples in the city. "I'm proud of my Hindu heritage, I'm proud to be someone who would be the first Muslim mayor of this city, and I'm proud to hold all of those things together," Mamdani was quoted as saying by NepYork, a New York-based news portal.

"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. And I grew up with a keen understanding, whilst myself being a Muslim, what Hinduism means. The stories that I learned, the tradition, the faith, the practices," he further told reporters.

.@zohrankmamdani visits Ganesh Temple in Flushing #Queens today with a warm reception from Hindu leaders and supporters. This campaign is for all New Yorkers 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/nCD2YCV8Cj

— Ali Najmi (@Ali_Najmi) October 5, 2025

Netizens' Reactions:

Netizens slammed Mamdani for wearing shoes inside the temple. "Zohran Mamdani is not a Hindu. He may not have known that we do not wear shoes inside the temple. He clearly does not want to follow others who are with him and are not wearing the shoes. It was responsibility of this photo op seeking group to demand he takes off his shoes and respects Hindu tradition and faith at least inside a temple," famous coloumnist Sunanda Vashist wrote.

Zohran Mamdani is not a Hindu. He may not have known that we do not wear shoes inside the temple. He clearly does not want to follow others who are with him and are not wearing the shoes. It was responsibility of this photo op seeking group to demand he takes off his shoes and… pic.twitter.com/GNvgbf55pv

— Sunanda Vashisht (@sunandavashisht) October 8, 2025

"Comparing the group photo of Zohran Mamdani & others in Flushing temple with the below picture, one can easily understand that he was allowed to go deep inside the @nyganeshtemple with shoes. Neither the temple management seems to have appraised him of the Hindu Temple customs, nor did he bother to ask and understand," another user commented.

Comparing the group photo of Zohran Mamdani & others in Flushing temple with the below picture, one can easily understand that he was allowed to go deep inside the @nyganeshtemple with shoes. Neither the temple management seems to have appraised him of the Hindu Temple customs,… pic.twitter.com/bc2erIkLVP

— Thiyagu 🇮🇳 (@jThiyagu) October 8, 2025

However, several users pointed that the place where Mamdani was standing was outside the temple. "You might be not be a Hindu if you didn’t know that the dwaja stambha is outside of the temple," an X user commented.

You might be not be a Hindu if you didn’t know that the dwaja stambha is outside of the temple,

— Punished Kebbin (@PunishedKebbin) October 8, 2025

Who Is Zohran Mamdani?

In June this year, he won the Democratic mayoral primary, defeating veteran politician Andrew Cuomo. Born in Uganda to Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran moved to New York at the age of seven.

He became a naturalised US citizen in 2018 and married a Syrian artist earlier this year. Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a housing counsellor, helping low-income families fight eviction. In 2020, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he described himself as a “democratic socialist”.