A visit by Samajwadi Party MPs Akhilesh Yadav, wife Dimple Yadav and others to a mosque near Parliament triggered a row Wednesday, with the BJP accusing the party of hurting religious sentiments by holding a political meeting there and also criticising Dimple’s attire.
BJP leaders said holding political meetings inside a mosque was prohibited as was having “laughter and a tea party”. The SP hit back, saying it was a “social gathering” and the BJP was “a group of people of negative mindset” that was “misleading” people to divert attention from “real issues” like the Bihar electoral roll revision.
Akhilesh, Dimple and at least 10 other SP MPs were at the Parliament Street mosque Monday after Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. They included Dharmendra Yadav, Anand Bhadauria, Zia Ur Rehman and Mohibulla Nadvi, who is also Imam of the mosque.
After photographs of the MPs — seated inside what appears to be the mosque’s prayer area — emerged, BJP’s minority wing chief Jamal Siddiqui said he would have “welcomed” if Akhilesh had offered “shukrana namaz (thanksgiving prayer) there. “But they held a political meeting, had laughter and a tea party which is not allowed inside a mosque… he went there with his wife Dimple Yadav… Men and women can not sit together in a mosque. There was a separate section for women…,” he said.
BJP minority wing national vice-president S M Akram said: “There is no restriction on visiting a mosque. But that area was not supposed to be used for political discussions,” he said.
When asked about the BJP’s allegations, Akhilesh told reporters, “The BJP is a group of people of negative mindset. Faith is positive, it unites. The BJP gets upset with anything that unites. They want negativity… faith unites, ensures brotherhood.”
Dimple told reporters: “Imam sahab is our MP, his wife was also there, we had gone for a social (gathering), there was no meeting.” “The BJP always tries to mislead to divert from real issues. The government neither wants to speak on SIR nor on the intelligence failure in the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. In order to hide facts, such things are being said,” she said.
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Meanwhile, Akram wrote a letter to Mohibbullah, saying the BJP’s minority wing wants to hold a meeting at the mosque after this week’s Friday prayers. “You are requested to make arrangements of sitting and refreshments. The meeting will start with Vande Mataram and conclude with Jana Gana Mana,” said the letter.
