RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visits mosque, meets Umer Ilyasi of Imam foundation

New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has met Umer Ahmed Ilyasi at the Kasturba Gandhi Marg mosque in the national capital.

RSS’s Sunil Ambekar said it was a part of the continuous dialogue with the people.

The meeting comes on the heels of Bhagwat interacting with a group of intellectuals from the Muslim community.

In August, a five-member delegation met Bhagwat, and the meeting lasted for more than an hour. During the meeting the atmosphere in the country and measures to strengthen communal harmony were discussed in detail.

Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, who was among the Muslim intellectuals who met Bhagwat, told IANS that he had sought an appointment with the Sangh chief regarding the communal atmosphere in the country. Following which the RSS chief met the delegation in Delhi.

Speaking to IANS, Quraishi further said that both the sides (the delegation and the RSS chief) were unanimous that without strengthening the harmony between the communities, the country can neither be strong nor it can make progress. He said that in the meeting it was also agreed that all the parties should work to convince and motivate their people to strengthen the communal harmony in the country.

Besides Quraishi, other members of the delegation included former Lt. Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lt. Gen. (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui and industrialist and philanthropist Saeed Sherwani.

After meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday, Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief of All India Imam Organisation said that Mohan Bhagwat is ‘Rashtra Pita (father of the nation) and a ‘Rashtra Rishi’ (sage of the nation ).

Talking to IANS after the meeting, Ilyasi said: “Mohan Bhagwat visiting us is a privilege. Bhagwat came to Imam House for a meeting and he is our Rashtra Pita and Rashtra Rishi. The unity and integrity of the country should be maintained. We may all worship in a different way, but before that we all are human. We live in India and are Indians.”

“India is on the verge of becoming Vishwa Guru and we all should strive for it,” he said.

When asked if he referred to Bhagwat as ‘Rashtra Pita’, Ilyasi said, ” Absolutely, he is ‘Rashtra Pita’ (father of the nation).”

-IANS