USA, New York City: New York City Mayor Eric Adams made an unfortunate error during his speech at the 78th Indian Independence Day celebration in Queens, where he mistakenly referred to 'India' as 'Pakistan' three times. This occurred at the Queens 9th India Day Parade, where Adams spoke from a stage decorated with Indian flags and banners.

On the previous day, Adams had attended a flag-raising ceremony at the same location to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day, which may have contributed to the mix-up. 

During the Indian Independence Day event on Saturday, Adams addressed the crowd while holding both the Indian tricolor and the American flag, with attendees waving Indian flags and wearing tricolor-themed clothing. Despite the Indian-themed decorations, Adams referred to Pakistan several times instead of India.

He stated, "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," according to news agency PTI.

Adams continued, "So I thank you for allowing me to come here. I've known this community for so long, from little Pakistan in Queens, little Pakistan in Brooklyn, you are a major foundation of our entire city. So let's continue to celebrate your independence."

The mistake was eventually corrected by someone from the crowd, who shouted, "India," and "It’s India."

The error was particularly notable as Adams had participated in a flag-raising ceremony at Bowling Green Park on August 15 to celebrate India's Independence Day, leading to confusion about how the mistake occurred.