'Muslim Can Do Yoga on Road, But Not Namaz': Arfa Khanum Sherwani Flags 'Double Standard' After BJP Event Near Minara Masjid.

Journalist’s remark on Mumbai yoga session sparks debate over public spaces; BJP Minority Morcha event for Int’l Yoga Day draws support, criticism amid ongoing namaz-on-roads row.

Mumbai, June 20, 2026:Senior journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani has questioned what she called a “double standard” in the treatment of religious and cultural activities in public spaces, after the BJP Minority Morcha held a yoga session on a road near Minara Masjid in Mumbai ahead of International Yoga Day.

Reacting to visuals of the event on X, Sherwani wrote: “A Muslim can do yoga on the road, but cannot offer namaz there.”

The Event That Triggered Debate.

Yoga Near Minara Masjid: BJP Minority Morcha members organized a yoga session on a road near the mosque as part of International Yoga Day activities. Participants from the local community joined the early-morning drill.

BJP’s Outreach: BJP Minority Morcha leaders have been promoting yoga among Muslims, arguing “Quran never barred us from performing exercises for physical fitness.”Bengal Minority Morcha president Ali Hossain earlier said: “Yoga is a form of exercise and it has nothing to do with religion.”

 Sherwani’s Criticism: 'Selective Enforcement'.

Sherwani’s post highlighted perceived contradictions in civic policy:

Namaz Restrictions: Several BJP leaders and state administrations have opposed offering namaz on roads. Kirit Somaiya recently sought a “complete ban on prayers on public roads”in Mumbai, calling it a “serious problem” causing traffic congestion. UP CM Yogi Adityanathbsaid “roads are meant for the movement of traffic” and namaz should be in mosques.Yoga Permitted: In contrast, the roadside yoga session went ahead without objection, prompting Sherwani’s “double standard”remark.

 Social Media Reactions: Split Views.

The post reignited long-running debates on public space use:

Support for Sherwani: Users argued that if roads can host yoga, cultural rallies, or kanwar yatras, singling out Friday namaz amounts to discrimination. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi earlier said: “Roads are frequently blocked and tents erected during religious yatras… In contrast… Namaz is only offered on the streets occasionally.”

Criticism: Opponents cited public order. UP’s Shahi Chief Mufti Maulana Chaudhary Ifraheem Husain backed Yogi, saying “offering ‘namaz’ on roads is against Islam” and “roads are meant for commuters.” Others pointed to HC rulings that “no group has the right to disrupt public infrastructure on a working day in the name of religion.”

Judicial Context: Courts have restricted religious/political activities in public spaces. The Allahabad HC recently held that the “right to practise religion does not extend to converting private premises into an unregulated congregational space.”

Broader Background: Namaz-on-Roads Row.

Political Pushback: BJP leaders have repeatedly flagged traffic disruption from Friday prayers. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said namaz should be in “mosques, Idgahs, or other designated places rather than public spaces.”

Muslim Groups’ Stand: Some leaders say lack of mosques forces street prayers. “There is no masjid in that area… Where do these poor people go to offer namaz?”Owaisi asked.

Yogi’s Position: “We always keep ourself away from appeasement,” Adityanath said, adding that Muslims get 35-40% of welfare benefits despite being 20% of UP’s population.

 International Yoga Day Context.

The BJP Minority Morcha has used Yoga Day for outreach. In Bengal, member Sheikh Samar said: “We convinced Muslim brothers that Quran never barred us from performing exercises.” Last year the wing stayed away citing Ramzan; this year it organized camps.

 The Core Question.

Sherwani’s remark taps into a wider constitutional debate: equal treatment vs public order. Article 25 guarantees religious freedom “subject to public order, morality and health.”The question  raised by Owaisi, Somaiya, and now Sherwani is whether civic rules are applied uniformly to namaz, yoga, processions, and festivals.