Imam makes emotional appeal to Modi over Sambhal mosque row
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk to Muslims of the country as communal tensions rise over mosque surveys across India. Bukhari suggested three Hindus and three Muslims be invited for talks to resolve the issues. His appeal comes after violent clashes on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district.
Bukhari compares current situation to 1947 period
"You (PM Modi) should do justice to the chair you are sitting on. Win the hearts of Muslims. Stop the miscreants who are trying to create tensions and affecting the atmosphere of the country," teary-eyed Bukhari said. "We are standing in a situation worse than the one we were in 1947. No one knows which way the country will go in the future," he said during Friday prayers at Jama Masjid.
Political tensions escalate over Sambhal mosque survey
The Sambhal incident has also stoked political fire. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were stopped by Uttar Pradesh police from visiting violence-hit Sambhal this week. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Rahul of trying to stoke communal tensions and competing for Muslim votes. BJP spokesperson Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi called Gandhi's visit a political move motivated by competition with the Samajwadi Party for vote banks.
