Akhilesh, secular leaders spreading fear among Muslims: Shahabuddin Razvi
Synopsis
A senior Muslim cleric from Bareilly has publicly accused SP chief Akhilesh Yadav of fear-mongering among Muslims and urged the community to stop bearing the electoral cost of opposition politics — a rare and pointed rebuke that could complicate the SP's outreach ahead of UP polls.
Key Takeaways
All India Muslim Jamaat President Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi accused SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and 'so-called secular party' leaders of 'instilling fear' among Muslims in Bareilly on Tuesday .
Razvi alleged opposition leaders visit Muslim-dominated areas to 'spread poison against the BJP .' He argued that since 2017 , a decade of anti-BJP politics has weakened Muslims while strengthening the Samajwadi Party .
He also alleged Akhilesh Yadav was 'setting agenda with the BJP in the darkness of the night.' Razvi urged Muslims to adopt 'positive thinking,' vote for 'powerful leaders,' and exit the 'politics of opposition.'
All India Muslim Jamaat President Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi on Tuesday levelled sharp accusations against Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of what he termed 'so-called secular parties', alleging they are deliberately 'instilling fear' among Muslims and 'spreading poison against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).' The remarks, made in Bareilly, come ahead of the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
What Razvi Said
Addressing the Muslim community, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi argued that Muslims in India enjoy full freedom to practise their religion and participate in political and social life. 'There is no fear anywhere in the country, no terror, and in fact there is no need to be afraid. This land is ours, it belongs to our ancestors, why should we fear anyone? Muslims are a community which only dreads the Almighty, not any person,' he said.
Targeting the SP directly, Razvi alleged: 'The Muslim leaders of so-called secular parties and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav engage in instilling fear among members of the Muslim community... These people go to Muslim-dominated areas and spread poison against the BJP.'
Call to Step Back from Opposition Politics
Razvi urged the Muslim community to abandon what he described as a decade-long 'politics of opposition.' He argued that since 2017, Muslims have consistently backed anti-BJP coalitions — to their own detriment. 'As a result, the Samajwadi Party grew stronger, the Muslims grew weaker. And all the losses had to be borne by the Muslims. The benefits are being reaped by the SP people, the so-called secular parties are reaping them,' he said.
He questioned why the burden of defeating the BJP should fall on the Muslim community alone, asking: 'Isn't it the responsibility of Akhilesh Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and others?'
Broader Allegations Against SP Leadership
Razvi went further, alleging that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was 'setting agenda with the BJP in the darkness of the night' — a claim that, if true, would represent a significant contradiction in the SP's public positioning. He also referenced the Rashtriya Kranti Party, a splinter group led by Kalyan Singh, which reportedly extended legislative support to Mulayam Singh Yadav's government in 2004, drawing a historical parallel to underscore his argument about political opportunism.
What Razvi Is Urging Muslims to Do
The cleric appealed to Muslims to pursue 'positive thinking instead of negative politics,' and to vote for those he described as 'powerful leaders.' He warned that without a course correction, the next generation of Muslims would face the same consequences as the past decade. 'Only then the new generation will have a brighter future, otherwise, just like the past 10 years, you will have to bear the consequences again,' he said.
With Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls drawing closer, Razvi's remarks signal an emerging fault line within Muslim political opinion — one that opposition parties will be watching closely.
Point of View
But that framing misses the genuine frustration within sections of the Muslim community who feel instrumentalised by opposition politics without seeing commensurate returns.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi?
He is the President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, a Muslim religious organisation based in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. He is known for issuing statements on political and social issues affecting the Muslim community in India.
What did Shahabuddin Razvi accuse Akhilesh Yadav of?
Razvi accused SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of 'so-called secular parties' of deliberately 'instilling fear' among Muslims and 'spreading poison against the BJP' in Muslim-dominated areas ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He also alleged Akhilesh was 'setting agenda with the BJP in the darkness of the night,' without providing specific evidence.
What is Razvi urging the Muslim community to do ahead of UP polls?
Razvi is urging Muslims to abandon a decade-long 'politics of opposition' and instead vote with 'positive thinking' for leaders he describes as 'powerful.' He argues that consistently backing anti-BJP coalitions since 2017 has weakened the Muslim community while benefiting opposition parties.
Why does Razvi say Muslims have been harmed by opposition politics?
He argues that since 2017, Muslim support for opposition parties — particularly the SP — has made those parties stronger while leaving Muslims politically weaker and bearing the consequences of electoral losses. He contends the benefits have flowed to opposition parties, not to the Muslim community.
What is the political significance of these remarks ahead of UP elections?
The statement represents a rare public rebuke of the SP's Muslim outreach strategy from within the Muslim religious establishment. With Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls approaching, such criticism could complicate the opposition's efforts to consolidate Muslim votes against the BJP.
