All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi on Tuesday, 22 September sharply criticised Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, alleging that he has adopted a ‘soft-Hindutva’ posture in a calculated bid to consolidate Hindu votes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2027. The remarks, made in Bareilly, add to a growing rift between sections of the Muslim clergy and the SP — a party that has traditionally relied on Muslim voters as a core constituency.

What Maulana Shahabuddin Alleged

Speaking publicly, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi said: “All of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav’s efforts and struggles are aimed at capturing power in 2027; he is desperate to secure the seat of authority by any means.” He alleged that this desperation is driving Yadav toward a ‘soft Hindutva’ position and a deliberate silence on issues affecting the Muslim community.

The cleric further alleged that Akhilesh Yadav has made no public statement on a string of sensitive Muslim-interest issues — including the Babri Masjid, the Gyanvapi Mosque controversy in Varanasi, the Shahi Idgah Mosque row in Mathura, developments in Sambhal, and the Waqf (Amendment) Act. “In short, he has maintained silence on every issue affecting Muslims — whether it involved the demolition of shrines or the use of bulldozers against mosques and madrasas,” Maulana Shahabuddin said.

The ‘Bonded Labour’ Charge

One of the sharpest accusations levelled by the cleric was that the SP leadership views Muslim voters as captive supporters with nowhere else to go. “He (Akhilesh) believes that the Muslims have nowhere else to go and will inevitably return to the fold; this is the mindset of the Samajwadi Party,” Maulana Shahabuddin alleged, describing this as treating the community as ‘bonded labourers.’

He also dismissed what he characterised as occasional, low-effort social media engagement by Yadav, saying: “Occasionally, according to his mood, he might have posted something from the comfort of his room, but nothing more than that.” The cleric predicted that Yadav’s 2027 electoral ambitions would ultimately “be dashed.”

Background and Pattern of Criticism

This is not the first time Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi has targeted the SP chief. He had previously called Akhilesh Yadav an ‘agent of the BJP’ and accused him of ‘mocking’ the BJP-led alliance in Uttar Pradesh, suggesting a sustained pattern of criticism from the All India Muslim Jamaat towards the SP leadership.

Notably, the timing is significant: with UP’s 2027 Assembly elections on the horizon, political actors across the spectrum are recalibrating their outreach strategies. The ‘soft Hindutva’ charge against opposition leaders is not new in Indian politics — it has previously been directed at Congress leaders as well — but its deployment by a senior Muslim cleric against a key non-BJP figure in Uttar Pradesh underscores the pressure the SP faces from multiple directions.

What This Means for UP Politics

The SP has not publicly responded to the latest round of criticism from Maulana Shahabuddin. If the perception of Muslim disillusionment with the SP hardens ahead of 2027, it could complicate the party’s electoral arithmetic in a state where Muslim voters — estimated at roughly 19% of the electorate — have historically been a decisive force. How Akhilesh Yadav navigates this tension between broadening his appeal and retaining his base will be one of the defining strategic questions of the UP election cycle.