Demonstrators brought an effigy of Madani, garlanded it with shoes and slippers, and threw footwear at it before setting it ablaze. Participants carried posters reading “Down with Maulana Madani” and displayed crossed-out images of him. Several placards also carried messages such as “If you want to live in India, you must say Vande Mataram.”
VHP leaders accused Madani of making statements that could incite unrest. Provincial co-secretary Jitendra Chauhan questioned Madani’s assertion linking oppression to jihad, asking where oppression existed in the country today. He further alleged that such statements amounted to encouraging divisive narratives similar to those that preceded Partition.
Chauhan also claimed that Madani and other leaders were repeatedly opposing national symbols and institutions, saying this misled Muslim youth and “opened the path for civil conflict.”
VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal echoed these concerns, alleging that “fundamentalist elements” were attempting to influence young Muslims by using terms such as oppression, heaven, and jihad. He urged the Muslim community to distance itself from leaders making such remarks, and accused some groups of undermining national pride and trust in the justice system.
Madani’s comments were made a day earlier during the governing body meeting of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hum in Bhopal. He said there was a growing effort to spread hatred against Muslims and that terms like “Love Jihad” and “Land Jihad” were being used to vilify the community. Madani asserted that, in Islam, jihad refers to a struggle against injustice and oppression, and would continue wherever such conditions exist.
Police monitored the protest, which remained confined to the square and dispersed peacefully after the effigy was burned. Authorities have not announced any legal action so far.
