Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, on Wednesday, 21 October claimed that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's proposed visit to Rampur to meet jailed senior party leader Azam Khan was driven purely by electoral calculations — not genuine solidarity. The remarks, made in Bareilly, add a sharp new dimension to the political discourse around Muslim support ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Razvi's Core Allegation

'Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is now going to Rampur, where he will meet Azam Khan, who has been in Rampur jail for 370 days. The reality is that Akhilesh Yadav is under pressure from me, and because of that pressure, he has been forced to visit Rampur,' Razvi said.

He alleged that Akhilesh had been conspicuously absent during Khan's most difficult period despite Khan's foundational contribution to building the Samajwadi Party. According to Razvi, the SP chief's belated outreach was aimed at rebuilding credibility among Muslim voters — but had come too late to be seen as anything other than election-season posturing.

What This Means for the SP's Muslim Support Base

Razvi argued that Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh were increasingly making independent political decisions rather than following individual community leaders. He pointed to the electoral performance of Azam Khan's family and political associates in Rampur — citing defeats of candidates linked to Khan and victories of his political rivals — as evidence that the veteran leader's grip on the constituency had weakened.

'By meeting the veteran leader in jail, Akhilesh Yadav wants to reestablish the trust he lost from his Muslim supporters,' Razvi said. The comment reflects a broader anxiety within opposition circles about whether the traditional SP-Muslim alliance can be held together without a credible show of solidarity toward Khan.

Delhi Mosque Notices Draw Sharp Reaction

Razvi also raised alarm over legal notices reportedly served to two mosques and a dargah in New Delhi, including the Race Course Masjid — located near the Prime Minister's official residence — and Dargah Shah Jilani Miyaan in Chanakyapuri. The notices, according to reports, directed imams to vacate the premises within six days, citing claims of unauthorised occupation.

'Both the religious places have been sent a notice and have been asked to vacate the premises. This clearly means that bulldozer action will be taken on the mosques. All the mosques, dargah, graveyards are the Bulldozers' target,' he said.

Razvi noted that some of the structures were over 500 years old and argued that their historical and religious significance should shield them from demolition. He also invoked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's public remarks against seeking temples beneath mosques, urging that such guidance be respected in practice. 'Sectarians are busy engaging in such activities despite Dr Mohan Bhagwat urging not to go and try finding temples beneath mosques,' he said, adding: 'India is incomplete without Muslims.'

Owaisi Joins the Chorus on Race Course Mosque

The issue of the Race Course Mosque had already drawn attention a day earlier, when All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday urged Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene. According to reports, the mosque received a legal notice warning that unauthorised occupation or construction on the property 'could invite legal action.'

The convergence of statements from Razvi and Owaisi — two voices rarely aligned — signals that the mosque notices have galvanised a wide cross-section of Muslim community leaders.

The Broader Political Stakes

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are widely regarded as a high-stakes test for both the SP and the BJP. For Akhilesh Yadav, Muslim voters remain a critical component of any winning coalition, making the optics of his relationship with Azam Khan — arguably the most prominent Muslim politician in the state — a matter of political arithmetic. Whether the Rampur visit translates into tangible electoral goodwill, or is dismissed as a last-minute gesture, may depend on how community leaders like Razvi frame it in the weeks ahead.