NCP leader seeks permission to recite Quran, Hanuman Chalisa outside PM Modi’s residence

Mumbai: Amid a row sparked by the right-wing over the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Fahmida Khan has sought permission from union home minister Amit Shah to read holy scriptures of all faiths, including the Quran and Hanuman Chalisa, outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi

Mumbai: Amid a row sparked by the right-wing over the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Fahmida Khan has sought permission from union home minister Amit Shah to read holy scriptures of all faiths, including the Quran and Hanuman Chalisa, outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi.

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The move comes at the time when Navneet Rana, an independent member of parliament from Amravati and her husband and MLA Ravi Rana, wanted to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Bandra residence Matoshri, which led to a showdown with Shiv Sena cadres in Mumbai last week.

The Rana couple, who had declared their support to the BJP, was arrested by the police under sedition and other charges on Friday. BJP leaders have criticised the Mumbai police for their arrest.

“I Fahmida Khan residing at Kandivali in Mumbai requesting you to grant me permission to recite Namaaz, Hanuman Chalisa, Navkar Mantra (Jain Chant), Guru Granth (Sikh Scripture) and Novena (Catholic Prayer) outside the residence of our beloved prime minister Narendra Modi. Kindly communicate to me the date and time for the same,” states the letter seeking permission that was sent to the union home minister on April 23.

“I want to end this hate being spread against Muslims across the country and bring back peace and communal harmony. For which I am ready to read and recite holy scriptures of all faiths including Jain scriptures which our prime minister and Union home minister follow. This may help in restoring the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb (Hindustani for Ganges–Yamuna Culture) in the country. It may also help the country to overcome major issues such as fuel price hikes, inflation and unemployment,” she told Hindustan Times.

On Monday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the feelings towards their religion need to be confined to themselves and it should not result in creating hate against other communities which is happening at present.

“…If you want to conduct some religious ritual then you can do it at your home but if you declare to do it outside my home then you cannot blame me for the resentment coming from me or my followers... I am hoping that the current situation will die down in the next few days. People like me will remain concerned and work to not allow creating hate and differences among communities and bring back the state to its old tradition,” the former chief minister said referring to the showdown between the Rana couple and Sena workers.