'Should be ousted from India': Maulana Rashidi faces backlash for 'Shariat law' remark

Business To Business, New Delhi, 29 August 2026:   Political and religious leaders on Saturday lashed out at the All India Imam Association President Maulana Sajid Rashidi for an alleged objectionable remark, saying that he should be "ousted from the country" for harbouring such views.
 
Maulana Sajid Rashidi stirred a row by reportedly stating that the implementation of the Sharia law in India "will stop rape cases" in the country.
 
In a similar controversial remark, he had earlier said: "Rapes are occurring because marriages are being delayed. If you want to ensure your daughters' safety, get them married early."
 
Launching a harsh critique, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Vinod Bansal said that such clerics should be "ousted from India at the earliest".
 
"People with such mentality should not be allowed to stay in India. Such 'Maulanas' are poisonous snakes in the name of Islam and should be dealt with according to the law. Strong action should be taken against such a 'Maulana'. who doesn't acknowledge India's Constitution," he told IANS.
 
"He could either be in jail or ousted from the country," he added.
 
Echoing similar view, Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party Chief, Om Prakash Rajbhar, said: "If you want to live in India, you have to abide by the Indian Constitution. If you do not want to live in India and want to follow a new law, then go to Pakistan."
 
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dinesh Sharma said: "Criminals need to be punished according to the law. India will be governed by the Constitution, not Sharia law, and everyone has the freedom to practice their religion here. However, the country will have one criminal law for all."
 
"People involved with religious matters should not do politics on women's security," he told IANS.
 
All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi said: "India can be neither a Hindu nor an Islamic nation, so implementation of Sharia law is not possible here."
 
Maintaining that India functions according to its democratic system, Bareilvi added: "People of different faiths stay in India and accordingly practise their religions. This right has been granted by the Constitution, because of which India has gained global recognition."
 
Referring to Maulana Rashidi, All India Muslim Jamaat Chief said: "Whoever talks about the implementation of Sharia law in India, that is not possible here. Otherwise, the other community will also seek the creation of a 'Hindu state', which will ultimately lead to conflicts. Such a situation is not in the welfare of a nation."