New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) The All-India Muslim Jamaat president, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi on Wednesday strongly objected to a political meeting allegedly held inside a mosque in Delhi’s Parliament Street, demanding the immediate removal of its Imam, Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi.

Razvi, in a statement to IANS, accused Nadvi, who is also an MP from Rampur, of turning the sacred mosque space into a “political arena,” violating Islamic principles that designate mosques solely as places of worship.

“The mosque is a house of God, meant for prayers, not politics. Islam forbids worldly and political discussions inside the mosque,” Razvi told IANS.

His comments come hours after photographs showing SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, MPs Dharmendra Yadav (Azamgarh), Ziaur Rahman Barq (Sambhal), along with Dimple Yadav and several SP leaders, attending a meeting in the mosque’s central courtyard, seated alongside Imam Mohibullah Nadvi, created a political controversy.

“Allowing political leaders, including non-Muslims, to hold meetings within the mosque is not only a grave sin but also an insult to its sanctity,” Razvi asserted.

He demanded that the mosque committee remove Nadvi from the position of Imam and that he should apologize to the Muslim community. “If Nadvi does not seek forgiveness, a nationwide agitation will be launched by Muslim youth, scholars, and organizations,” Razvi warned, adding that the Imam must publicly commit to never allowing such political activities inside the mosque again.

The controversy erupted after Akhilesh Yadav and senior SP leaders visited the Parliament Street Mosque on Tuesday evening.

The BJP termed it a political stunt. Religious leaders like Razvi also criticised the move.

As the issue gains momentum, it has sparked debate on intermingling of faith and politics, and the limits of political expression in religious spaces. The mosque committee has yet to issue a statement.

–IANS

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