'Go Back To Third World': US Lawmaker's Remark On Zohran Mamdani Eating With Hands Sparks Debate

Last Updated:June 30, 2025, 16:53 IST

Republican Congressman Brandon Gill criticised Mamdani for eating with his hands and told him to "go back to the Third World."

New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani. (Reuters)

A video of Zohran Mamdani eating rice with his hands has sparked a furious debate, with a Republican Senator berating him for being “uncivilised" and telling him to “go back to the Third World".

In the video, Mamdani – who recently defeated Andrew Cuomo in the race to become New York Mayor – was seen eating a traditional meal of rice and lentils with his hands, a common practice in India, while talking about the Palestinian struggle.

“When you grow up as someone, especially in the Third World, you have a very different understanding of the Palestinian struggle," he was heard saying in the video.

Republican Congressman Brandon Gill responded to the video by using harsh language, commenting on Mamdani’s ability to adapt to the Western world. “Civilised people in America don’t eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World," he said on X.

Gill’s response sparked a polarised response, with several people criticising his remarks. “Do you get offended by people using chopsticks in an Asian restaurant?" an individual replied.

“How do you eat tacos, french fries, burgers etc? Do you eat Lays with a fork too?" another user commented. A third person wrote, “You can’t really criticise his policies so you resort to personal attacks on his culture."

A netizen also highlighted that Gill’s own wife was an Indian-origin commentator, Danielle D’Souza. Gill represents Texas’ 26th Congressional District and has two children – Marigold and Winston.

However, other netizens accused him of asserting his cultural identity for clout. A user shared an old photo of Mamdani using a knife and fork, saying, “It’s so funny that Zohran clearly uses cutlery to eat all the time (even a burrito on the subway), but he eats with his hands on camera as if it’s a costume performance for white people to find him exotic."

Mamdani, 33, the son of acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, made history by becoming the first Muslim nominee for the Democrats in the New York City mayoral race, after former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded.

However, Mamdani has faced intense scrutiny and trolling for his socialist policies and threats to defund Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and police, with US President Donald Trump joining other Republicans into calling him a “100% Communist Lunatic."

Tennessee Republican Representative Andy Ogles sparked outrage this week by publicly calling Mamdani “little Muhammad" and demanding that he be “DEPORTED."

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News viral 'Go Back To Third World': US Lawmaker's Remark On Zohran Mamdani Eating With Hands Sparks Debate