A Sunni Muslim group in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, issued a fatwa against actor-politician Thalapathy Vijay from Tamil Nadu.
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilly, the National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat and Chief Mufti of Chashme Darul Ifta, issued the fatwa directed towards the actor. The fatwa, released in answer to a query, declares that the actor-politician is anti-Muslim and refers to his history and prior actions as “examples shown against Islam.”
It similarly states that it is unlawful and sinful to invite “alcoholics and gamblers to Iftar,” and encourages Muslims in Tamil Nadu to refrain from trusting or involving such individuals in their religious events.
ALSO READ: Initial batch of Agniveers to exit in 2026; MHA urges reservation of vacancies
Maulana Razvi stated that Vijay Thalapathy is leveraging Muslim emotions to enter politics from the film industry despite having a history marked by anti-Muslim sentiment. “In his movie ‘The Beast’, he has linked Muslims and the whole Muslim community with terrorism and militancy. In the movie, Thalapathy tries to depict Muslims as ‘monsters’ and ‘demons’. Now that he is entering politics and seeking votes, he is engaging in Muslim appeasement.”
He further charged Vijay with breaking the sacredness of Ramadan by welcoming “drunkards and troublemakers” to an Iftar gathering. “These individuals were not observing fasting or adhering to Islamic traditions,” he stated, mentioning that Sunni Muslims in Tamil Nadu had lodged a police report regarding the issue.
Maulana Razvi called on Muslims to “keep away from Vijay Thalapathy, avoid his events and refrain from inviting him to their religious gatherings.”
Tamil Nadu Sunnat Jamath lodged complaint with Chennai Police Commissioner
On March 11, the Tamil Nadu Sunnat Jamath lodged a complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner, claiming that Vijay’s Iftar party was poorly organized and included “drunkards” who had “nothing to do with Iftar”, thus “insulting Muslims”.
The founder and leader of TVK organized an Iftar gathering on March 8 at the YMCA grounds in Chennai. He donned a skull cap, participated in the evening prayer, and broke his fast with those present at the gathering arranged by his party.
Cleric cites disrespect at Iftar party
Sunnat Jamath’s treasurer, Syed Kous, informed the media: “Muslims faced insults during the Iftar event organized by Vijay. We think the involvement of intoxicated individuals and troublemakers, who were unrelated to fasting or Iftar, has offended Muslims.”
Stating that the group did not submit the “complaint for publicity,” Kous remarked, “Legal measures must be implemented against Vijay to prevent this from occurring again.”
Former Tamil Nadu BJP state unit chief K Annamalai had also previously criticized Vijay for the Iftar party. Annamalai asked Vijay: “You smoke and drink in films, so who gave you the authority to discuss Tasmac?” What role did you play in the film ‘Master’? “Merely wearing a skullcap for a day, hosting an Iftar event, and asserting support for minorities will not bring about any change,” he stated.
