MEERUT, Nov. 9 -- A fresh political debate has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, a prominent cleric linked to the Bareilly Sharif Dargah, backed Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Nawab Iqbal Mahmood's remarks on the absence of Muslim political representation since Partition. His statement came amid growing discussion over communal harmony and historical reflections on India's division.

Maulana Razvi said that if India had remained "Akhand Bharat" (Undivided India), a Muslim could have become the Prime Minister. He attributed the community's political marginalisation to the decline in its population after Independence.

"If Hindustan had remained Akhand Bharat, a Muslim could have become the Prime Minister. Seventy-...