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Cleric supports SP MLA on ‘Muslim PM’ remark; ‘Vande Mataram’ row returns
The remark reignited debate after SP MLA Nawab Iqbal Mahmood questioned Muslim political representation in post-Partition India.
A fresh political debate has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, a prominent cleric linked to the Bareilly Sharif Dargah, backed Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Nawab Iqbal Mahmood’s remarks on the absence of Muslim political representation since Partition. His statement came amid growing discussion over communal harmony and historical reflections on India’s division.
Maulana Razvi said that if India had remained “Akhand Bharat” (Undivided India), a Muslim could have become the Prime Minister. He attributed the community’s political marginalisation to the decline in its population after Independence.
“If Hindustan had remained Akhand Bharat, a Muslim could have become the Prime Minister. Seventy-seven years have passed since Independence, but due to the decline in the Muslim population, it could not happen. This is the pain of Partition that still haunts us,” Maulana Razvi said during a local religious gathering in Bareilly.
His comments came days after SP MLA Nawab Iqbal Mahmood questioned why no Muslim had held the top post since Partition, triggering discussions across political and religious quarters.
SP MP’s remarks on ‘Vande Mataram’ spark fresh controversy
In a related development, SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq from Sambhal courted controversy after refusing to sing ‘Vande Mataram’, citing religious beliefs.
Barq said that certain lines of the national song contradict his faith, though he continues to sing the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ out of respect for the country. “My religion allows me to worship only one Allah, so I cannot bow before any other entity. I love my country and am loyal to it, but I cannot worship it. This is both my religious and constitutional right,” he said at his residence.
Referring to a 1986 Supreme Court ruling in a Kerala case, Barq noted that the court had affirmed that no citizen could be forced to sing ‘Vande Mataram’. “This is not my personal view; the Supreme Court has already made it clear. Respect for the nation and the national anthem is a separate matter,” he added.
He also recalled that his grandfather, former MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, had walked out of Parliament during the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ when he was a BSP MP during Mayawati’s tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, an act that had sparked a major political uproar at the time.
