RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat after meeting Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organization on Thursday. ANI
New Delhi: Refuting any speculation that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s meeting with Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organization on Thursday had more to it than a general and cordial interaction, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said it was a part of a continuous general “Samvad” process and did not have any hidden agenda.
Accompanied by senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members, Bhagwat had an interaction with Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi at the Kasturba Gandhi Marg mosque on Thursday. The RSS called it another meeting that was part of Bhagwat’s outreach to the Muslim community to strengthen communal ties. The office of the All India Imam Organization is located at K G Marg.
The closed door meeting lasted for more than an hour giving rise to conjecture on what Bhagwat could have discussed with the spiritual leader.
Reacting to reports, Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh of the RSS, Sunil Ambekar clarified that it was a regular meeting and did not have any specific agenda. “RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat held a meeting with Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organization, at Kasturba Gandhi Marg mosque today. Ilyasi sahab had invited him (Bhagwat) several days ago. So, he met him there. The RSS Sarsanghchalak meets people from all walks of life often. It’s part of continuous general “Samvad” process,” Ambekar told news agency ANI.
Over some time now, the RSS chief has been meeting intellectuals and academics from the Muslim community in what the RSS has portrayed as meetings held to strengthen communal harmony in the country.
Among well-known personalities from the community Bhagwat recently met, are Delhi’s former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi, former chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah, former lawmaker Shahid Siddiqui and businessman Saeed Shervani.
For today’s meeting with the chief imam in the central Delhi mosque, Bhagwat was accompanied by senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sangh members Krishna Gopal, Ram Lal and Indresh Kumar.
On the other hand, the All India Imam Organisation is the representative body of the community of Indian Imams and has earlier claimed it is the largest organisation of imams in the world.
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