Uttar Pradesh-based Muslim activist and BJP leader Nazia Ilahi Khan has said she has received death threats following her controversial remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Khan defended her statements and said she had only repeated claims that she believed were mentioned in Islamic religious texts.
“I say only what is written in the Quran. If what I said about Prophet Muhammad is wrong, then the pages of the Quran containing those statements should be torn out. What will anyone gain by threatening me or cutting me up?” she said.
Khan has faced protests and multiple police complaints after making remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a podcast in June.
Nazia Ilahi Khan Attacks Rahul Gandhi Over Manusmriti Remarks
Khan also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and accused him of misrepresenting the Manusmriti.
“Rahul should be arrested. He is misrepresenting a chapter of the Manusmriti. If he is questioning religious texts, he should also speak about what is written in the Quran,” she said.
She accused Gandhi of following a “double standard” by criticising Hindu religious texts while allegedly ignoring controversial statements made by Muslim clerics.
Khan also said she did not consider herself a minority despite being from a Muslim background.
“I do not consider myself a minority at all. By my culture, traditions, way of speaking and clothing, I am an Indian woman. My nature and culture are entirely Hindu-oriented and Sanatani. In my view, there is no such thing as a minority,” she said.
Says She Wants Muslim Women to Leave Hijab
Khan said she has campaigned against practices such as triple talaq, child marriage and what she described as “malpractices” in madrasas.
“Today, I want to free Muslim sisters from the hijab. I speak out against triple talaq. I speak out against the malpractices in madrasas and the obscenity that occurs there. I speak about the issue of nikah. I speak out against child marriage. What unconstitutional thing am I saying?” she said.
She also claimed that she had worked on several legal cases concerning Muslim women.
Khan said she had approached the Supreme Court in 2019 over nikah halala and the Calcutta High Court in 2024 seeking restrictions on the marriage of Muslim girls before they complete Class 12.
Defends Remarks on Prophet Muhammad
Khan denied making any “indecent” remarks about Prophet Muhammad and said her comments were based on religious texts.
“I have not made any indecent remark. This is written in four authentic hadiths,” she said.
She referred to accounts concerning the marriage of Prophet Muhammad and Aisha and said she had only repeated what she believed was written in Islamic sources.
“If radical Muslims are offended by what I have said, they should tear out the pages where it is written. Nothing will be gained by cutting or tearing me out,” Khan said.
Claims Evidence of ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’
Khan also defended her repeated use of the terms “love jihad” and “land jihad”.
She claimed that she was handling several cases that she described as “love jihad” cases and said she could provide documents if political opponents questioned her claims.
“If anyone asks me for evidence regarding love jihad or land jihad, I can provide an abundance of it,” she said.
Khan also criticised the Waqf system and described it as a “living, practical example” of what she calls “land jihad”.
Says Her Statements Do Not Harm BJP
Asked whether the BJP leadership could object to her statements, Khan said she did not believe her language damaged the party’s image.
“I don’t think my language is bad,” she said, while comparing her remarks with statements made by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.
Khan has frequently appeared in television debates and publicly spoken on issues concerning Muslim personal law, religious practices and the BJP’s political positions.
Protests and FIRs After June Remarks
According to the Dainik Bhaskar report, Khan faced protests in several states after comments she made about Islam and Prophet Muhammad during a podcast on June 19, 2026.
The report said videos of the discussion went viral, triggering protests in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra.
An FIR was registered against her at Shantinagar Police Station in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, on June 22. Another case was registered at JJ Marg Police Station in Mumbai the following day. Further complaints were reported from Malegaon and Hyderabad.
Protests were also held in parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Bareilly, Muzaffarnagar and Bulandshahr.
From TMC to BJP
Khan began her political career with the Trinamool Congress and came into the spotlight after taking up the case of triple talaq victim Ishrat Jahan in 2018.
She later left the TMC and joined the BJP. She went on to become associated with the Muslim Women Resistance Committee in West Bengal and held positions in BJP organisational cells.
Khan has also regularly appeared in television debates as a BJP representative.
In recent years, she has become known for making strong and controversial statements on Islam, Muslim personal law and religious practices.
