London Mayor Sadiq Khan surprised attendees during a session at City Hall on Thursday when he addressed Green Party leader Zack Polanski in Urdu during Mayor's Question Time. Khan said he chose to speak in Urdu because he believed Polanski was "so proficient in Urdu." The comment sparked laughter among other politicians in the room. Polanski, who is running to replace Sir Keir Starmer as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras in an upcoming by-election on October 8, had previously introduced himself in Urdu in a campaign video. However, critics pointed out that relatively few people in the north London constituency speak Urdu. In response, Polanski released a second video in French, but this was also criticized for errors in the French subtitles. Khan’s team later clarified that he told Polanski, "Peace be upon you. I was worried that you would ask the question in Urdu, but you asked your question in English. I’ll be spending time in Holborn and St Pancras this week and I’m going to be there. Maybe, maybe we will meet there." Khan reiterated his point in English, saying, "I thought as the member is so proficient in Urdu that I would speak in Urdu." Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, the country Khan’s parents left in the 1960s to move to England. Khan has often expressed pride in his Pakistani heritage. Labour MP Naz Shah praised Khan’s actions as "pure class." Meanwhile, Tory local government spokesman Katie Lam criticized Polanski’s use of Urdu in his campaign video, accusing him of "attempting to appeal to group-based grievances by campaigning in foreign languages." She called such tactics "poisonous" and suggested they should be banned. The Greens, however, defended the use of multiple languages in political campaigns, stating, "Democracy doesn't discriminate by languages spoken," and added that they aim to "speak to people who speak Urdu in Urdu." Sir Keir resigned as MP earlier this month, despite having previously stated he would remain in the Commons until the next UK general election, which is not scheduled until 2029. Labour is currently favored to retain the seat, with the Greens being their main competitor in the by-election.