'This is not inside temple': Massive row over Mamdani's shoes; American Hindu community targeted

The temple run of New York Muslim mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani last week did not go without criticism but now that a photo appeared showing Mamdani posing for a photo with his shoes on while others were barefoot, a major controversy started. The organizers of the event, the members of the Indian-American Hindu community of New York, came under attack for not asking Mamdani to remove the shoes.

"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," one commentator wrote.

"Mamdani defiled the sanctity of a Hindu temple, and the management stood by and let it happen," another 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

I don’t even know which temple this is — but whoever runs it should be ashamed. Allowing someone to walk into a Hindu temple with shoes on is an outright desecration.
Mamdani defiled the sanctity of a Hindu temple, and the management stood by and let it happen.
Unbelievable.… https://t.co/B9qvND4usu pic.twitter.com/JT8Gl2fGiD

— Sandeep Neel (@SanUvacha) October 8, 2025

"Mamdani Didn’t even have the courtesy to remove shoes in temple, but was still hosted by these so called Hindus- shows you the indignity these Hindus are ready to suffer just for a selfie moment!" a third user wrote.

Hindus for Zohran. Deer for Leopard.
US Politicians quip that only thing Indian Americans ask in exchange for their support is a selfie. They didn't even ask him to remove his shoes inside the Temple. pic.twitter.com/oo5gBsFpcc

— Ram (@ramprasad_c) October 8, 2025

Mamdani visited two oldest temples of New York City last Sunday and spoke about how proud he is of his Hindu roots, even though he's a Muslim. He said he knows about Hindu faith and culture as his mother Mira Nair is a Hindu, and that knowledge contributed to becoming the person he's become today.

You can wear shoes in that spot. You also don’t have to. Both options are available. The point of my post is that this isn’t the gotcha people think it is.

When the community exaggerates and makes something out of nothing and blows it up online, it makes the community appear as…

— Indu Viswanathan (@indumathi37) October 8, 2025

While Mamdani did not address the shoe controversy, Indian-American scholar Indu Viswanathan pushed back the targeting of the Indian-American Hindu community of New York on social media and said that the photo was not taken inside the temple. "You can wear shoes in that spot. You also don’t have to. Both options are available," Indu wrote adding that she's been going to the temple since her childhood and in no universe Mamdani or anyone would be allowed inside the temple with their shoes.