India, July 2 -- Mayor Zohran Mamdani's request to set thermostats higher during New York's worst heatwave in over a decade draws major backlash and memes.

Imagine it's nearly 38degC outside, the humidity makes it feel past 40degC, and your city's leader asks you to turn your air conditioner up to 25.5degC (78degF). Would you do it?

New Yorkers certainly aren't having it.

As New York City faces its worst heatwave since 2012, newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a public appeal to residents and businesses on X on July 2: set your ACs to a warmer temperature and cut back on using lights and heavy appliances.

The request was purely to save the city's power grid from collapsing. Con Edison, the city's major electricity provider, warned...