Overview
- Maulana Syed Arshad Madani told a Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind meeting that a call for “jihad” in 1803 was part of the freedom struggle and described doing jihad as a duty for Muslims.
- The remarks were delivered at the Jamiat state executive meeting in Kaliyar near Roorkee on Tuesday and were reported widely by news agencies.
- Multiple BJP leaders publicly condemned the comments as provocative and accused Madani of using inflammatory language for political ends.
- Several Muslim clerics and community figures also criticised the statement, while Madani and the Jamiat emphasised calls for communal harmony and cited recent relief work for Hindus and Muslims.
- No legal action or formal investigation has been reported so far, and the episode has sharpened debate over historical claims, religious rhetoric, and grievances about alleged state actions against Muslim sites.