Bareilly, Oct 21 (IANS) All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi on Wednesday claimed that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s proposed visit to Rampur to meet jailed senior party leader Azam Khan was driven by electoral considerations and pressure over the SP leadership’s handling of Khan during his difficult times.
“Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is now going to Rampur, where he will meet Azam Khan, who has been in Rampur jail for 370 days. The reality is that Akhilesh Yadav is under pressure from me (Maulana Shahabuddin), and because of that pressure, he has been forced to visit Rampur,” Shahabuddin told IANS.
Razvi alleged that Akhilesh was attempting to regain the trust of Muslim voters ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by meeting Khan, who, he claimed, had not received adequate support from the SP leadership when he needed it.
“By meeting the veteran leader in jail, Akhilesh Yadav wants to reestablish the trust he lost from his Muslim supporters,” he said.
He added that he had repeatedly raised Azam Khan’s case on various platforms and questioned Akhilesh’s absence during the veteran leader’s difficulties, despite Khan’s contribution to building the Samajwadi Party.
According to Razvi, the SP chief was “under pressure” following his repeated criticism of the party leadership over its treatment of Khan and had now been compelled to visit Rampur as the Assembly elections approached.
Razvi also questioned whether Khan continued to command the same influence among Muslim voters, arguing that the community was increasingly making independent political choices rather than following individual leaders.
He cited the electoral performance of Khan’s family and political rivals in Rampur to argue that the veteran leader’s influence had declined. Razvi said the defeat of candidates associated with Khan’s family and the victory of his political opponents indicated that the former minister no longer exercised the same control over the constituency.
He added that Akhilesh’s proposed meeting with Khan appeared aimed at rebuilding the SP chief’s credibility among Muslim supporters, but maintained that the move had come too late.
Additionally, Razvi expressed concern over notices reportedly issued to two mosques and a dargah in Delhi, including Race Course Masjid, near the Prime Minister’s residence, and Dargah Shah Jilani Miyaan in Chanakyapuri.
He claimed that the religious sites had been asked to vacate their premises and alleged that the notices could lead to demolition action.
“Both the religious places have been sent a notice and have been asked to vacate the premises. This clearly means that bulldozer action will be taken on the mosques. All the mosques, dargah, graveyards are the Bulldozers’ target,” he said.
Razvi said mosques, dargahs and graveyards were increasingly facing the threat of demolition, adding that some religious structures were several centuries old.
He criticised what he described as attempts to target religious institutions despite their historical and religious significance.
“Some of the mosques are older than 500 years, 300 years or 200 years old; even then, the sectarians are targeting these institutions,” he said.
Referring to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks against seeking temples beneath mosques, Razvi said such concerns should be addressed in a manner that protects religious harmony.
“Sectarians are busy engaging in such activities despite Dr Mohan Bhagwat urging not to go and try finding temples beneath Mosques,” he said. He reiterated Dr Bhagwat statement, saying ‘India is incomplete without Muslims.’
Earlier, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday urged Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene in the case of Delhi’s Race Course Mosque, situated near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence in New Delhi.
According to reports, the mosque has been sent a legal notice directing the imam to vacate the premises within six days over claims that the property is unauthorised and that any “unauthorised occupation, encroachment, construction or other illegal activity on the property could invite legal action.”
–IANS
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