Islam occupies unique 'position of pride' amongst religious groups in India: NSA Ajit Doval
New Delhi, Jul 11: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said India has been a melting pot of cultures and religions that have co-existed in harmony for centuries, and Islam occupies a unique and significant "position of pride" amongst the religious groups in the country.
Doval's remarks came during an event here at the India Islamic Cultural Centre where Muslim World League Secretary General Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is on an India visit, also addressed the gathering.
Doval hailed Al-Issa as an authentic global voice of moderate Islam and a profound scholar with a deep understanding of Islam.
Hailing the "excellent" relations between India and Saudi Arabia, Doval the ties were rooted in shared cultural heritage, common values and economic ties.
"Our leaders share a common vision for the future and have been closely interacting with each other," the National Security Advisor said.
In his remarks, Doval said India as the world's largest democracy and the mother of democracies is a land of incredible diversity.
"In your (Al-Issa) talk you elaborately mentioned diversity as a fundamental trait of our existence. It (India) has been a melting pot of cultures, religions, languages and ethnicities that have co-existed in harmony for centuries. As an inclusive democracy, India has successfully managed to provide space for all its citizens regardless of their religious, ethnic and cultural identities," he said.
"Amongst its numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride with India being home to the second largest Muslim population in the world," he said.
To give an idea of the scale we are talking about, India's Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of over 33 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Doval added.
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Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
