Barkati, known as the ‘fatwa imam’, had courted controversy over a series of diktats against prominent personalities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Wakf Estate authorities has given the mosque trustee board the responsibility to find a new imam. Shahezada Anwar Ali Shah, the head of the mosque board, earlier described Barkati as a “blot on our community”. The trustee board head said the mosque received a flood of complaints against Barkati, prominent among which is the false claim of being shahi imam. According to Shah, a shahi imam is one who administers namaaz to royal families, or is appointed by a royal family.

Source: Hindustan Times May 17, 2017 10:07 UTC