NEW DELHI (AP) 鈥� lit up social media on Wednesday to celebrate Zohran 惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 as New York City mayor after he thanked his Indian-born parents, quoted a historic speech by India鈥檚 first prime minister and turned the into a Bollywood-style street party.
鈥淲e are proud of him. He has done a great job,鈥� 惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 maternal uncle Vikram Nair told The Associated Press. He said he was flooded with requests from friends and families to throw celebratory parties.
鈥淲e will plan it soon,鈥� he said, adding that the family would love to have Mamdani take part.
The 34-year-old, Mamdani is set to be New York鈥檚 youngest mayor in more than a century 鈥� and the first Muslim one 鈥� when he takes office on Jan. 1.
At a boisterous victory rally late Tuesday, Mamdani addressed supporters with a speech inspired by Jawaharlal Nehru鈥檚 iconic 鈥淭ryst with Destiny鈥� address, delivered on the eve of India鈥檚 independence in 1947.
鈥淪tanding before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: 鈥楢 moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance.鈥� Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new,鈥� Mamdani said.
The title track of 2004 Bollywood blockbuster “Dhoom鈥� played as Mamdani concluded his speech, flanked by his parents and wife Rama Duwaji.
惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning Indian filmmaker whose credits include 鈥淢onsoon Wedding,” 鈥淭he Namesake鈥� and 鈥淢ississippi Masala鈥� and whose work has been nominated for an Academy Award. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is an anthropology professor at Columbia University.
After his victory, Nair shared Bollywood film maker Zoya Akhtar鈥檚 Instagram story that was captioned 鈥淶ohran you beauty,” with heart emojis.
Winking references to his Indian heritage figured in Mamdani’s buzzy campaign videos, with many social media posts using dialogues from classic Bollywood movies.
While there was no official Indian government reaction to 惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 win, Shashi Tharoor, a senior leader of the opposition Congress party, hailed his 鈥渟pectacular victory,鈥� calling it 鈥渨onderfully apt!鈥� in his post on social media.
惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 and embrace of his Indian and Muslim identity won him support, but his past remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he publicly called a 鈥渨ar criminal,鈥� had many expressing concern and anger.
Rights groups have accused Modi鈥檚 government of widespread attacks and discrimination against India鈥檚 Muslims and other minorities. As chief minister of the state of Gujarat, Modi was accused of not acting to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved him.
Not everyone in India was enthused Wednesday by 惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 historic win, which made headlines.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that season again, when India鈥檚 self-proclaimed urban intelligentsia will obsess over Zohran 惭补尘诲补苍颈鈥檚 New York mayoral win, yet have no clue who their own city鈥檚 mayor is!,鈥� Indian lawmaker Milind Deora wrote on social media.
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