Why did Dimple Yadav face backlash over her mosque visit?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Dimple Yadav faced backlash for attending a political meeting in a mosque.
- Critics argue that the mosque should remain a place of worship.
- Maulana Razvi condemned the actions as disrespectful.
- The SP leadership has denied the allegations.
- Political use of religious sites continues to be a contentious issue.
New Delhi, July 24 (NationPress) The recent visit of Dimple Yadav, a member of the Samajwadi Party (SP) Lok Sabha, to a mosque for a political gathering has led to significant backlash. This controversy was ignited by Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, the National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, who expressed his discontent over the event.
The political meeting, which involved several SP leaders alongside Dimple Yadav, has generated outrage among certain factions within the Muslim community.
In a pointed remark made to IANS, Maulana Razvi stated, “Dimple Yadav should have displayed respect for her attire and the sacredness of the mosque. Her decision to attend without a dupatta was a disregard for the religious feelings of Muslims.”
He emphasized that a mosque serves as a place of worship, not a venue for political agendas, and called for an apology from Dimple Yadav and the leadership of SP.
Referring to the incident as “shameful,” Maulana Razvi also directed criticism towards Mohibullah Nadvi, the SP MP who organized the meeting, stating, “He must apologize to the community for politicizing a mosque.”
The cleric further condemned Swami Prasad Maurya, National President of the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, for what he termed as ongoing disrespect towards Sanatan Dharma.
“He once set fire to a copy of Ramcharitmanas while part of SP. Many, including myself, urged for his expulsion, but Akhilesh Yadav declined,” Razvi noted.
He remarked that Maurya eventually departed from SP to establish his own party a year later. Razvi asserted that Maurya’s repeated comments offend other religious groups and pose a threat to communal harmony.
The political gathering inside the mosque has stirred a contentious debate, with the BJP accusing SP of exploiting religious venues for political leverage.
It is important to highlight that the Samajwadi Party has categorically rejected these allegations, with both Akhilesh and Dimple Yadav claiming that the meeting was not political and dismissing the uproar as a diversion from critical national matters.