Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi has escalated a brewing storm by formally appealing to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis via letter over the contentious naming of Manoj Jadhav—a non-Muslim—as Executive Officer of the State Haj Committee. Shared on X, the document frames the issue as a constitutional crisis warranting prompt reversal.
Central to Azmi’s argument is the Haj Committee’s foundational statute, crafted to embed Islamic legal tenets, customs, and pilgrimage imperatives into its every function. Leadership, including the Executive Officer, must emanate from elected Muslim members attuned to these sensitivities—a criterion Jadhav allegedly fails spectacularly.
This ‘illegal overreach,’ Azmi charged, subverts the act’s core objectives and collides head-on with Constitution Articles 14, 15(1), 25(1), and 26(a)-(b), eroding pillars of equality, religious liberty, and institutional autonomy for faith groups.
Precedents from the judiciary underscore inviolable separation: governments cannot encroach on protected minority domains. Azmi’s remedy is straightforward—void the appointment, install a qualified Muslim peer from the committee.
The timing resonates amid Maharashtra’s evolving political tapestry, where minority accommodations remain pivotal. Azmi’s letter spotlights vulnerabilities in oversight of faith-oriented bodies, potentially catalyzing reviews elsewhere.
Reposing trust in Fadnavis’s sagacity, Azmi anticipates a resolution honoring legal sanctity, constitutional imperatives, and minority dignities. This saga underscores enduring tensions between state machinery and religious self-determination, captivating audiences nationwide.