Noor-ur-Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Kolkata’s Tipu Sultan Mosque who was sacked on Wednesday for making “anti-national statements”, has refused to vacate his post, PTI reported on Wednesday. Barkati, who had also refused to give up a red beacon on his vehicle till he was asked to do so by a representative of the West Bengal government, said no one had the right to remove him as the Shahi Imam of the Esplanade landmark.

“Who are they to remove me? They have no right to do so. I will continue as imam of this mosque. Only the Muslim community can remove me,” Barkati said in response to the Prince Ghulam Ahmed Wakf Estate’s decision to terminate his services. “My Muslim brothers are with me. Actually an Urdu newspaper and a section of Trinamool Congress MPs are conspiring against me and want to remove me so that they can siphon off wakf money.”

Barkati was removed from his post on Saturday after he made a series of controversial statements, including calling those who chant “Jai Shree Ram” outside mosques “hijras”, and threatening to kill Muslims if they join Right-wing organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. With him refusing to budge from his stand, the mosque authorities are contemplating legal action against Barkati.

“We have sent him the notice of termination and he has been asked to vacate the office room allotted to him. We have asked his deputy to conduct prayers and we will appoint a new imam very soon,” Prince Ghulam Ahmed Wakf Estate trustee Arif Ahmed said, adding that Barkati was using the mosque’s resources for his own political and financial gain.

The imam had courted controversy earlier as well when he issued a fatwa against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the demonetisation drive.