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RSS chief’s statement important, people must listen to him: Clerics
Advocating for an inclusive society, the RSS chief had stated that the world needed to be shown that the people could live together in harmony.
Muslim clerics welcomed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement on Thursday raising concerns over the resurgence of several temple-mosque disputes in the country. Clerics from both Sunni and Shia communities said such disputes were not good for society and Bhagwat’s statement at such a time should be appreciated.
The national president of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi said: “Everyone must listen to what [Bhagwat] has to say and also follow it. He had said it earlier, and he, once again, said that attempts to find a temple under every mosque should be stopped. He also said that some people were trying to become the leaders of Hindus by raking up such disputes. His statement may pinch but it is a fact. Crores of people in India who seek peace and brotherhood should welcome this statement by the RSS chief.”
Referring to the Gyanvapi controversy, he said, “Some people are on a mission to find a temple under every mosque. These people should listen to what Mohan Bhagwat has said. If the situation doesn’t change then there will be a threat to the nation’s unity. Muslims are closely watching the situation and also, they are troubled by it. The statement of Mohan Bhagwat is quite important in today’s time and Hindu brothers should follow his advice.”
The RSS chief, while delivering a lecture on ‘India- The Vishwaguru’ in Pune, had said some individuals, following the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, were under the impression that they could become the “leaders of Hindus” by raking up temple-mosque disputes and added that this was “unacceptable”. Advocating for an inclusive society, he stated that the world needed to be shown that the people could live together in harmony.
Responding to the RSS chief’s remarks, Shia leader and general secretary of All India Shia Personal Law Board Maulana Yasoob Abbas said: “I welcome the statement by Mohan Bhagwat as looking for temples and shivlings under mosques and mazaars is completely wrong. This is not a sign of a healthy nation. It is the responsibility of the government to control such people who are doing such things to become politicians. I think there can also be a foreign hand in recent incidents in order to cause instability in the country.”
Bhagwat’s remarks come as several demands for surveys of mosques to unearth temples have found their way to courts in recent days. On December 12, the Supreme Court issued a nationwide directive restraining all courts from entertaining fresh suits or passing orders to survey mosques to determine whether temple structures lie beneath them.
