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Naseem Solanki, whose videos offering puja and lighting diyas in a temple to celebrate Diwali went viral, faces a fatwa, while the authorities of the temple she visited said they had conducted a ‘purification’ ritual after her visit
On October 31, Naseem Solanki stoked a controversy during her visit to the Vankhandeshwar Temple as she not only visited the premises but also performed a traditional ‘puja’, offering water (jal) and lighting diyas. (PTI)
“I will visit a temple again if invited,” said Naseem Solanki, a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Kanpur’s Sisamau assembly constituency for the November 20 bypoll, whose recent temple visit to celebrate Diwali stirred a controversy after a Muslim body issued a fatwa against her.
‘Wasn’t there to worship’
Reacting to the row, Solanki said, “I was not there for worship. I was just passing by when the workers who were with me suggested that I light a ‘diya’ and extend Diwali greetings. I was neither trying to embrace any religion nor was I offering puja at the temple,” said Solanki, wife of former SP MLA Irfan Solanki.
She added that her intent was not to perform a religious ritual but to participate in local festivities. “I won’t comment on the fatwa. However, I will be more mindful to ensure that no one’s sentiments are hurt because of my actions,” she said.
‘Idol worship is un-Islamic’
After Solanki’s temple visit and ‘Jalabhishek’ videos went viral on social media, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi issued a statement condemning her participation in a ‘puja’, describing it as strictly forbidden or “haram” under Islamic law. “In Islam, only Allah is worthy of worship, and any form of idol worship, by man or woman, is impermissible,” the Maulana stated.
The Maulana further explained that such actions render the individual a “criminal” in the eyes of Sharia. He said Solanki’s actions appeared voluntary, with no apparent pressure, implying that she knowingly chose to participate in the ritual.
The cleric said if someone, regardless of gender, engages in such acts under compulsion or without understanding the implications, they could repent without severe penalties under Islamic law. The individuals are advised to seek forgiveness through prayer and refrain from similar acts in future, as these may otherwise endanger their faith and alignment with Islamic teachings. He urged her to repent, stating, “As per Sharia, she must ask for forgiveness and recite the kalma again to reaffirm her faith.”
The incident
On October 31, Solanki stoked a controversy during her visit to the Vankhandeshwar Temple in the Sisamau locality as she not only visited the temple but also performed a traditional ‘puja’, offering water (jal) and lighting diyas as part of Diwali celebrations. While this angered the Muslim community, Hindu devotees too objected to the act and allegedly performed a ‘Shuddhikaran’ [purification] of the temple using 1,000 litres of gangajal.
The ruling BJP accused the SP candidate of using the temple visit as a “political stunt” aimed at influencing Hindu voters.
Why Sisamau is crucial
Of the nine state assembly seats which are gearing up for bypolls, Sisamau holds a distinct position. One of the biggest reasons for this is that while the rest of the bypolls were necessitated after the seats were vacated by MLAs who contested and won the Lok Sabha elections, Sisamau (Kanpur) fell vacant after SP’s Irfan Solanki was convicted and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
The other vacant seats are Khair (Aligarh), Kundarki (Moradabad), Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Phulpur (Prayagraj), Ghaziabad (Ghaziabad), Majhawan (Mirzapur) and Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar) and Karhal (Mainpuri).
Was temple visit a political stunt?
Political analysts said Solanki’s visit may be a calculated move, considering Sisamau’s unique caste demographics. The constituency, a known SP stronghold, has consistently supported the party for the past six elections.
“This Muslim-Dalit-Brahmin-dominated area has a Muslim voter base of approximately 1,11,000, followed by 70,000 Brahmin voters and 60,000 Dalit voters. Other influential groups include 26,000 Kayasthas, 6,000 Sindhis and Punjabis, 6,000 Kshatriyas, and over 12,400 OBC voters. Given this diverse caste composition, the SP candidate’s temple visit, which may have been aimed at courting Brahmin voters, raises speculation about being a political strategy,” said Shashikant Pandey, head, department of political science at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow.
SP’s stronghold
Following the conviction of four-term MLA Irfan Solanki, the Sisamau constituency faces a high-stakes by-election. The BJP is keen to capture this SP stronghold, which the Solanki family has represented for decades, beginning with Irfan’s father Haji Mushtaq.
Despite a strong Modi wave in 2017, Irfan defeated BJP’s Suresh Awasthi and, in 2022, he won against Salil Vishnoi by a 12,000-vote margin. With Irfan in prison, his wife Naseem Solanki has stepped in as the SP candidate, backed by her mother-in-law Khurshida Begum. The SP is banking on public sympathy, hoping voters see Irfan’s legal troubles as politically motivated. Naseem has been actively campaigning and attending community events, including her recent visit to the Vankhandeshwar Temple.
BJP has fielded Suresh Awasthi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Virendra Kumar while Azad Samaj Party has fielded Chand Babu Azad from the constituency.
