The exchange erupted on X when Councilman Chandler Langevin posted a message that read, "I won Rajesh. Take your curry and go home," targeting Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi. The congressman quickly replied, "I’m staying. So is the curry. America is my home. No bigot gets to decide who is American, who belongs here, or what they have for dinner. That’s the America I’ll always fight for."
Langevin’s remark is the latest in a string of racially charged comments that began in 2025 when he called for the deportation of Indians and mocked Krishnamoorthi’s name on social media. Earlier that year, the Palm Bay City Council voted 4‑1 to ask Governor Ron DeSantis to suspend Langevin and later 3‑2 to censure him, trimming his ability to introduce agenda items, speak during reports, and serve on city‑appointed boards. The council’s actions followed a lawsuit filed by Langevin, who claimed his First Amendment rights were violated, but the city settled for $55,000 in February 2026.
Krishnamoorthi has repeatedly spoken out against state and federal posts that target South Asian Americans. He condemned a Department of Homeland Security image that told a man named "Mr. Singh" to "get off our roads" and warned him to self‑deport. He also criticized a Texas Republican nominee’s post featuring South Asian students at the University of Texas, calling it demonising. These remarks underscore his broader stance that South Asian Americans are "as American as anyone."
The incident has resonated in the local Indian‑American community. An Indian‑American resident of Palm Bay, Priya Patel, told reporters she felt "deeply hurt" by Langevin’s language but praised Krishnamoorthi for standing up. "He reminds us that our voices matter," Patel said. Her sentiment echoes Krishnamoorthi’s own words that America is a place where anyone can belong regardless of heritage.