Bareilly, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
All India Muslim Jamaat national president Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi on Wednesday criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his remarks on an upcoming RSS event in the city, saying that differences in opinion do not justify boycotting a private or personal programme.
Mamdani had earlier said he did not support the proposed rally but was uncertain whether the city had the legal authority to cancel a private event.
Speaking to IANS, Shahabuddin said the programme was being held in connection with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and argued that opposing or seeking to boycott someone’s personal event was neither morally appropriate nor supported by law.
“Since it is a personal programme of Dr. (Mohan) Bhagwat, there is no meaning to this boycott. Unnecessarily boycotting someone, a programme or attempting to boycott someone’s event is not right from a moral perspective, and neither does the law support it,” he said.
The cleric maintained that personal programmes should not be opposed regardless of the organisation associated with them. He said individuals were entitled to their own viewpoints and could organise events in accordance with their beliefs.
“I don’t think New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani should have opposed (Bhagwat’s event),” he added.
Shahabuddin also commented on the controversy surrounding a photograph of Tipu Sultan displayed in the office of the Malegaon Deputy Mayor.
Describing Malegaon in Maharashtra as a city known for its Urdu language, culture and “civilised way of life”, he said the city had preserved the use of Urdu in public spaces.
He pointed out that Urdu can be seen on road signboards, shop boards, police posts, intersections, roads, lanes and locality names across Malegaon, describing it as unique in India for keeping the language alive in such a manner.
Defending the display of Tipu Sultan’s photograph, Shahabuddin said Tipu Sultan had fought the British in India and argued that putting up his picture was not a crime.
He congratulated the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, calling the decision “very good and brave”.
The cleric further said displaying Tipu Sultan’s photograph was a “slap on the face” of those seeking to weaken India and undermine the country’s unity and integrity.
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