Rhode Island Lt. Governor Condemns Kajal Hindustani’s Islamophobia and Bigotry, Launches Internal Review of Citation Process
Media contact: Safa Ahmed, media.info@iamc.com
Washington DC, (July 28, 2025) — In response to a letter from a coalition of 13 civil rights and interfaith organizations, Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos has issued a strong condemnation of the inflammatory and Islamophobic rhetoric of Indian Hindu supremacist leader Kajal Hindustani.
On July 21, the Lieutenant Governor’s office issued a ceremonial citation recognizing Hindustani at the request of the Foundation of Indian Americans of New England (FIA-NE), a Hindu nationalist group. FIA-NE falsely portrayed Hindustani as an advocate for women’s rights, concealing her documented history of hate speech and calls for violence against religious minorities.
In a written response to the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the Lt. Governor’s office stated that it was unaware of Hindustani’s public record at the time the citation was issued.
“The Office of the Lieutenant Governor regularly provides ceremonial citations to community organizations upon request. These citations are symbolic acknowledgments, often recognizing cultural celebrations, local accomplishments, or community service. They carry no legal or official weight and do not constitute an endorsement by the Lieutenant Governor or the State of Rhode Island. To my knowledge, we have never declined to provide a citation on request. In this case, the Foundation of Indian Americans of New England (FIA-NE) requested several citations ahead of their Indian Independence Day events. Among them was a citation for Kajal Hindustani (AKA Kajal Singhala), described in the request as an advocate they wanted to recognize for service to abused and assaulted women. The citation was prepared accordingly, as part of a batch of ceremonial materials issued this month,” the Lt. Governor’s office explained.
“We were not aware of Ms. Hindustani’s public statements or affiliations at the time the citation was issued. In light of the concerns raised, and having reviewed credible reporting about her inflammatory and discriminatory rhetoric, we unequivocally condemn the bigotry and Islamophobia she has expressed. The Lieutenant Governor stands firmly against all forms of bigotry and discrimination, including religious intolerance, and condemns in the strongest possible terms Ms. Hindustani’s hateful rhetoric,” the office added.
The office also expressed regret for the confusion and concern caused by the citation and confirmed that it is currently reviewing its internal processes for issuing such ceremonial acknowledgments.
The coalition had earlier called on the Lieutenant Governor’s office to rescind the citation, publicly disavow Hindustani’s hateful ideology, and commit to greater awareness of the rising Hindu supremacist movement in the diaspora.
