Madani said his words were taken “out of context” and insisted he had intended to underline the spiritual and ethical meanings associated with the term. “I take full responsibility for any confusion caused. My attempt was to explain jihad in its true sense, though I could not guarantee it would not be misinterpreted,” he said.
Madani’s original comments drew sharp criticism, with right-wing groups staging protests in Bhopal earlier this week. The cleric had argued that political and social groups had turned “jihad” into a slur, citing labels such as “love jihad” and “land jihad” that, he said, were being used to malign the Muslim community.
Reiterating his position, Madani said the term has “multiple meanings in India”, including self-discipline, moral struggle, and speaking against injustice. “Connecting jihad with terrorism is completely wrong. The correct word for terrorists is ‘fasadi’. We have always said they are fasadi, and we are jihadi in the sense of standing for righteousness,” he added.
He accused both state and central governments of contributing to a climate in which any negative incident involving Muslims is “deliberately branded as jihad”. According to him, this sustained narrative has distorted Islamic terminology and reinforced harmful stereotypes.
Madani also referred to past disputes involving the Jamiat, including the 2011 debate over the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram. He said the organisation continues to explore legal options on the issue, emphasising that “imposition is not the idea of India”.
The controversy is expected to remain a flashpoint as political groups continue to respond to his remarks in the coming days.
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