New Delhi: Minutes after meeting RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Maulana Umer Ahmed Ilyasi called him 'Rashtra Pita' - Father of the Nation, and also endorsed the former's claim that the DNA of all Hindus and Muslims are same.
Rashtra Pita is the title used for Mahatama Gandhi. But Ilyasi used it for RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat whom he met Thursday.
"Mohan Bhagwat is Rashtra Pita, whatever he says is correct", Ilyasi told the media.
The media was seeking Ilyasi's response on Mohan Bhagwat's oft-repeated statement that all Muslims living in India are converted and their DNA is same as that of Hindus. The remarks were opposed and criticised by Muslim and non-Muslim leaders.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday met Maulana Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the Chief of All India Imam Organisation, at his office in mosque at Kasturba Gandhi (KG) marg in the national capital.
Providing details about the meeting, RSS Prachar Pramukh, Sunil Ambekar, said:
"RSS Chief meet people from various sections of society. It is a part of continuous conversation (Samvad) process. "
Bhagwat, who has been trying to reach out to Muslims, in August too had met Ilyasi.
Soon after meeting Ilyasi, Bhagwat proceeded to Madrasa Tajweedul Quran in the old Delhi area, and interacted with the students.
Madarsa director Mahmudul Hasan told IANS that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat reached the madrasa around 10 a.m. "You have the responsibility of the country... so you have to work for the country by reading and writing," Bhagwat told the students. He stayed at the madrasa for about an hour and met the teachers besides the children. Bhagwat also reviewed the education infrastructure and sought some details such as the number of children enrolled there.
Bhagwat's Madrasa Tajweedul Quran visit came at the backdrop of crackdown on Madrasas in Assam and Uttar Pradesh.
Recently, Bhagwat had held discussions with some Muslim intellectuals for what the Sangh claims "strengthening communal harmony".
In the August 22 meet, Bhagwat had met former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Aligarh Musilm University vice chancellor L-G (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui and Industrialist and social worker Saeed Sherwani.
Meanwhile, Twitter is abuzz with speculations after Bhagwat's meeting with Ilyasi.
"Meeting of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat with Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, chief of All India Imam Organisation holds significance in view of recent events wherein OIC has been accusing India of anti minorities in international platforms. This proves how tolerant actually our nation is", Er Aijaz Hussain of BJP Jammu and Kashmir wrote on Twitter.
"So after closed door meeting with S Y Qureshi, Najeeb Jang, Zameeruddin Shah and Shahid Siddiqui at Jhandewalan, Mohan Bhagwat meets Maulana Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief of All India Imam Organization. What's cooking?" a Twitter user asked.
"To be honest I haven’t heard the name of Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi before your tweet and also about All India Imam Organization", another social media wrote.
"Mohanji is out of touch. During the Kumbha this hater Imam Ilyasi had said something about condom supply & Sadhus. RSS is run by caste Brahmins who are severely outdated. If they were realists, they would have declared India a Khalistan, Bhuddist, Jain & Hindu rastra 8 years ago (sic)", a Twitter user wrote.
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