NYC India Day Parade float criticized as anti-Muslim
By Carl Samson
The India Day Parade in New York City on Sunday has sparked controversy due to its inclusion of a float that features a model of the Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple built on the ruins of a demolished mosque in India. Critics, including several South Asian American organizations and lawmakers, argue that the float is overtly anti-Muslim and glorifies violence against Muslims, casting a shadow over what is meant to be a celebration of India’s independence.
- Driving the controversy: The Ram Mandir, built on the site of the 16th-century Babri Masjid — which was destroyed by Hindu nationalist mobs in 1992 — is a deeply polarizing symbol. Critics, including the Indian American Muslim Council, have called for the float’s removal, arguing that it “represents these groups’ desire to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity” and is “a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim hate, bigotry and religious supremacy.” New York City Councilmembers Shekar Krishnan and Shahana Hanif, along with State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, wrote in a letter to Mayor Eric Adams that “a float celebrating the construction of the Ram Temple would be divisive and runs counter to the values of New York City.” Responding to the controversy, Adams stated, “I want to send the right symbolic gesture that the city’s open to everyone and there’s no room for hate.”
- About the parade: The city’s India Day Parade, now in its 42nd year, is among the largest of its kind outside India, drawing tens of thousands of participants along Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. Organizer Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) bills the event as a celebration of India’s cultural diversity, with this year’s theme being “Vasudev Kutumbakam” (“the world is one family”). Amid the concerns, FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya defended the float, saying “We unequivocally reject violence and hate in any form, including any damage to any religious place of worship.”
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