RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited a mosque and a madrassa in Delhi (Source: ANI)Days after he met eminent people from the Muslim community, Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday visited Masjid Kasturba Gandhi Marg, headquarters of the All India Imams Organisation (AIIO), and met its chief, Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, who called Bhagwat “rashtra pita (father of the nation)”.
While Ilyasi said they “meet often’’, RSS insiders said the meeting materialised because both sides “felt the need for a dialogue’’.
The AIIO claims to represent half-a-million imams across 3 lakh mosques in India.
Ilyasi said, “It was a great honour for us that Bhagwat-ji came for tea in the morning…. Woh hamare rashtra pita hai aur desh ke rashtriya rishi hai (he is father of the nation and India’s chief saint).”
Asked whether problems of the community and issues such as the Gyanvapi mosque matter were discussed, Ilyasi said, “Why should we focus on negatives?’ We should create harmony.”