UP minister slams Samajwadi Party over mosque visit, seeks apology

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Minister for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari has criticized Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and MP Dimple Yadav for visiting a mosque, calling the move “inappropriate” and demanding that the party apologies for hurting religious sentiments.

Ansari said mosques are meant only for worship and should not be used for political purposes. “No one should misuse religious places for political gain. If a party holds meetings in a mosque, it owes an apology to the Muslim community,” he said.

He also referred to cleric Maulana Sajid Rashidi’s remarks on Dimple Yadav’s attire and urged religious leaders to act responsibly and avoid becoming party spokespersons. Ansari asserted that BJP leaders had never conducted political activities in mosques.

While some clerics defended the Samajwadi Party’s mosque visit, Ansari said ordinary Muslims did not support such actions. He added that the Waqf Board could issue further guidelines, if necessary, to ensure mosques remain places of worship rather than political platforms.