‘Those who are impure can't visit mosque': Muslim body writes to Delhi CM Rekha Gupta after SP Parliament meet; seeks imam's Nadvi removal

NEW DELHI: The president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, has written to Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta demanding the removal of Maulana Mohibbullah Nadvi from his position as imam of a mosque in the national capital. His demand comes days after a Samajwadi Party (SP) meeting was allegedly held inside the mosque, where Nadvi serves as imam and is also the SP Member of Parliament from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. In his letter, Barelvi said, "By holding a meeting of Samajwadi Party inside the mosque, the sanctity of the mosque has been violated, and the religious faith of the Muslims has been hurt." "No other work can be done inside the mosque except offering prayers to the God," he added. According to Barelvi, the SP meeting was attended by party chief Akhilesh Yadav, his wife and MP Dimple Yadav, MPs Dharmendra Yadav, Ziaur Rahman Barq, and other leaders. "Impure people cannot come inside the mosque. Only those people can come to the mosque who are pure," he wrote. He also pointed out that two women participated in the meeting, despite entry being prohibited inside the mosque. "A religious place like a mosque was used for politics. Through this meeting a political message was given that the Samajwadi Party is sympathetic to Muslims," Barelvi added. "Therefore, I demand from you that the Imam of the mosque, Maulana Mohibbullah Nadvi, should be removed from the 'Imamat', and a person with Sufi ideology should be made the Imam who is not political," he concluded.Meanwhile, the BJP's minority morcha has also taken issue with Nadvi's dual role as imam and MP. Its president, Jamal Siddiqui, has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking Nadvi’s disqualification from Parliament on the grounds that he allegedly holds an "office of profit" by drawing a salary from the Waqf Board. Under Article 102(1)(a) of the Constitution, Siddiqui claimed, Nadvi’s position could be considered an office of profit "because it is financed by a statutory body under the Delhi government." Siddiqui also wrote to Delhi CM Gupta demanding Nadvi’s immediate removal, accusing him of "using the mosque as his personal property." "On July 22, 2025, Mohibbullah Nadvi, along with Akhilesh Yadav, his wife, Dharmendra Yadav and other MPs, party workers, held a party meeting at the mosque where Namaz is offered and also had tea and snacks, which is against the Islamic model code of conduct," Siddiqui stated. He further alleged, "Nadvi also took SP MP Dimple Yadav to the mosque, even though the entry of women is prohibited there." "There is a place on the first floor of (the mosque) for women to sit. It is worth noting that Dimple Yadav's dress was also against the rules of the mosque," he claimed. "Mohibbullah Nadvi is using this mosque as his personal property and is promoting Samajwadi Party there, which cannot be done as an Imam," Siddiqui said.