Indian Culture Attacked In U.S. Politics? The Zohran Mamdani Controversy

What began as a simple lunch turned into a storm of controversy. New York City Democrat nominee Zohran Mamdani — potentially the city’s next mayor — was filmed eating with his hands during an interview. A practice common in South Asian households, but one that drew racist ire from Republican Congressman Brandon Gill, who called Mamdani “uncivilised” and told him to “go back to the Third World.” The internet quickly responded, pointing out not just the deeply prejudiced nature of Gill’s comments, but also the glaring hypocrisy — given he’s married to a woman of Indian origin, whose own father was seen eating with his hands in the US. As criticism mounts, Gill finds himself at the centre of a racism and culture storm. Is this a cultural misunderstanding or deliberate dog-whistle politics? Watch our full report.