After facing criticism from the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, deputy attorney general Khurshid Khan has now come under fire from an Indian Muslim cleric for cleaning shoes at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Terming the act as 'anti-Islam', Mufti Fuzail-Ul-Rehman, one of the founding members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), condemned Khurshid on Wednesday and asked him to give explanation to the Muslim community for his anti religion act.
"Instead of performing voluntary service at the gurdwara as penance for crimes committed by the Taliban, he should have offered prayers to khuda (almighty) following Islamic tenets. Moreover, offering penance for the deeds of the Taliban has no meaning," said Rehman, while speaking on phone from New Delhi.
"Such activities not only malign the image of the Muslim community, but also hurt their religious sentiments. Why should we apologise for what we have not done?" he said. The Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association had issued a notice to Khurshid on July 15 for defaming the nation (Pakistan) and had sought explanation for his action.
When asked why had it taken more than three months for him to react over the issue, Rehman failed to give a satisfactory answer. He said, "We wanted to raise the issue with the concerned authorities of the neighboring country, but failed to do it owing to some problems."
{{/usCountry}}When asked why had it taken more than three months for him to react over the issue, Rehman failed to give a satisfactory answer. He said, "We wanted to raise the issue with the concerned authorities of the neighboring country, but failed to do it owing to some problems."
{{/usCountry}}Khurshid had spent several hours polishing shoes at the Golden Temple on March 26 in penance for killing of Sikhs in 2010. Rehman said Khurshid should apologise for lowering the stature of the Muslim community in India".
On the contrary, the National Sikh Intellectuals Council secretary general Hardev Singh Sahoke endorsed his act. He said the Pakistan government should either clarify its stand or ask the bar association to explain the need for issuing such a notice to Khan for performing voluntary service.