Zahran Mamdani, the left-wing mayor of New York, has stated that he will raise the issue of returning the historic Koh-i-Noor diamond to its original owners in the Indian subcontinent if given the opportunity to meet King Charles. He made this statement ahead of an official visit.
Mamdani was scheduled to meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla during the 9/11 memorial ceremony. Before this meeting, he mentioned that he intended to bring up the topic of returning the 106-carat gem in his conversation with the British monarch.
The Koh-i-Noor diamond was transferred to Queen Victoria in 1849 following the Treaty of Amritsar. Before that, it had been in the possession of various Mughal emperors, Persian kings, and Sikh Maharajas, and it is now kept in the Tower of London.
While India is considered the primary claimant for the return of this diamond, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan have also laid claim to its ownership in recent years. This issue has always been a point of contention in the realm of historical heritage.
Images of the meeting between Mamdani and King Charles show that they had a friendly and official conversation at the memorial event. However, the exact details of their discussion have not been released.
Meanwhile, some political factions in Britain have described the New York mayor’s remarks as inappropriate, emphasizing that the Koh-i-Noor diamond will remain in the Tower of London.
