Imam calls Bhagwat father of the nation, Imam's kin links Bhagwat's visit to their father's ties with RSS
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New Delhi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, as part of the organisation's Muslim outreach programme, has met Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief of All India Imam Organisation, at a mosque in Delhi today.
Last month, Bhagwat had met five-member Muslim group as part of RSS' purported outreach programme to strengthen the communal harmony.
The meeting, which was said to have been a closed-door one that lasted for about an hour, was fruitful, said Imam Ilyasi.
The Imam, who underlined the need for working together to maintain the unity and integrity of the nation, called Bhagwat Rashtra Pita and Rashtra Rishi (father of the nation and sage of the nation).
Imam Ilyasi also thanked Bhagwat and other functionaries of the RSS who visited him on his call.
"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," Imam said.
Meanwhile, Umar Ilyasi's brother Suhaib Ilyasi, linked the RSS chief's visit to their father's old relationship with the organisation. He said it was a family programme and it should be seen in that context.
"Our father had an old relationship with the Sangh. Mohan Bhagwat had come to the mosque on the death anniversary of Jameel Ilyasi. It was a family programme and it should be seen in that context only," Suhaib Ilyasi said.
Bhagwat had held discussions with Muslim intellectuals for strengthening communal harmony, Suhaib Ilyasi said.
"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)."
Umar Ilyasi's brother Suhaib Ilyasi said, "Our father had an old relationship with the Sangh. Mohan Bhagwat had come to the mosque on the death anniversary of Jameel Ilyasi. It was a family programme and it should be seen in that context only."
Bhagwat had held discussions with Muslim intellectuals for strengthening communal harmony, Suhaib Ilyasi said.
The RSS Chief met Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi at his office in a mosque at Kasturba Gandhi (KG) marg in the national capital.
Providing details about the meeting, RSS prachar pramukh said, "RSS chief meets people from various sections of society. It is a part of the continuous conversation (Samvad) process. "
Bhagwat, who has been trying to reach out to Muslims, in August too had met Ilyasi. Recently, Bhagwat had held discussions with Muslim intellectuals for strengthening communal harmony.
In the August 22 meet, Bhagwat had met former Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Aligarh Muslim University vice chancellor L-G (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui and Industrialist and social worker Saeed Sherwani.
