“If there is oppression, there will be jihad,”: Jamiat chief's shocking remark

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani sparked a controversy after declaring that “if there is oppression, there will be jihad,” a statement he made while accusing the judiciary of failing to protect constitutional rights of minorities. His remarks have triggered intense political reactions from the BJP who accused him of inciting Muslims and challenging constitutional institutions.

Madani alleged that recent court verdicts, including those on the Babri Masjid and triple talaq cases, suggested that the judiciary was functioning “under government



pressure.” He claimed that “many such decisions” had emerged in recent years which “openly violated the rights of minorities guaranteed in the Constitution.”

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is one of India’s oldest and most influential Islamic organisations, founded in 1919 by leading Deobandi scholars to represent Muslim social, religious, and political concerns. The organisation works on issues related to Muslim welfare, education, legal rights, and religious guidance, while also engaging with national debates on citizenship, minority rights, and secularism.