The event, held at the Queens 9th India Day Parade on Saturday, was attended by members of the Indian-American community, and the stage was adorned with Indian flags, tricolour balloons, and banners reading “Mayor Adams Celebrates the Indian Community”.
Despite holding both the Indian tricolour and the American flag, and being surrounded by members of the Indian diaspora dressed in tricolour-themed attire and waving Indian flags, Adams mixed up India with Pakistan on three occasions during his remarks, reported PTI.
He said, “We raised the flag earlier this week at Bowling Green…And I think no greater symbol of what you offer to this community than the men and women who are part of the law enforcement community, who are here, the Pakistani officers, who are continuing to grow in their numbers and ranks as they continue to show that public safety is the prerequisite to our prosperity.”
Adams continued, “…So I thank you for allowing me to come here. I’ve known this community for so long, from little Pakistan and Queens, little Pakistan and Brooklyn, you are a major foundation of our entire city. So let’s continue to celebrate your independence,” according to PTI.
At this point, someone from the crowd corrected him by shouting “India” to clarify the mistake.
It is worth noting that Mayor Adams had attended flag-raising ceremonies at Bowling Green Park in lower Manhattan on both August 14 and 15 to commemorate the independence days of Pakistan and India, respectively.