"Hum Imam hai, kisi ka ghulam nahi," these were the words of a defiant Maulana Noor-ur-Rehman Barkati, Imam of the Kolkata's famous Tipu Sultan mosque after he was unceremoniously sacked from his post today.

Notorious for his instant fatwas, the motor mouth cleric was terminated from the post of Shahi Imam of the century old mosque by the Prince Ghulam Mohammed waqf estate which runs the mosque, citing gross misconduct.

"His conduct was unbecoming of an Imam. An Imam is supposed to provide leadership to the community and not incite one against another. We have been trying to tone him down, we even issued show-cause notices but he did not relent," said Arif Ahmed, member of the mosque's Trustee Board.

The decision comes just a week after India Today reported how the controversial cleric continued using the red beacon on his vehicle flouting the ban imposed by the central government. "No one has the guts to arrest me," he had then said, when India Today asked him about the multiple police complaints filed against him for flouting the rule book and making hate speeches.

But despite the mosque board's decision, Barkati refuses to relent. Flanked by supporters who raised slogans in his favour, the cleric conducted the evening Namaz at the mosque. "You just saw how I conducted the namaz here. They (trustee) have no right to terminate me. An Imam can never be terminated," he announced.

Known for his proximity to chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress, Barkati blamed a section of the ruling party for conspiring against him.

"It's a conspiracy by a goonda, his name is Sultan Ahmed (Trinamool Congress MP). They are destroying the property of the wakf. They should be investigated," Barkati said, alleging that state minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury and TMC MP Nadimul Haque were also involved.

Last week, Triamool Congress minister and a key minority figure in Mamata's cabinet Siddiqullah Chowdhury had demonstrated outside the mosque against the Imam for his alleged pro-Pakistan remarks. Many saw it as an attempt by the party to counter BJP which has been targeting Mamata Banerjee citing her proximity to the cleric.

But despite his sudden tirade against the TMC leadership, Imam Barkati has pushed the ball in chief minister Mamata Banerjee's court. "Mamata se humko pyar hai. Party is not against me," he said on Wednesday adding that he will take the up with Banerjee soon after her return from the capital on Thursday.

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'No one has the guts to arrest me': Kolkata Imam Barkati defies red beacon ban