Salman Khurshid elected as President of India Islamic Culture Centre, defeating RSS-backed candidate
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and renowned lawyer Salman Khurshid has won the presidency of the India Islamic Culture Centre (IICC) in a highly contested election. Khurshid secured 721 votes, delivering a significant blow to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which had been making efforts to influence the governing body of the minority institution.
In the race for the IICC's top post, Khurshid faced competition from Dr. Majid Ahmed Talikoti, the national convenor of the RSS-backed Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), who finished third with 227 votes. Khurshid's closest competitor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Asif Habib, secured 278 votes.
Following his victory, Khurshid expressed his gratitude to the members of IICC, stating, "I am deeply honored to be elected as the President of IICC. Thank you to all the members for your trust and support. Together, we will work towards the betterment and preservation of IICC’s values."
The election also saw eight candidates from Khurshid's panel winning seats on the 13-member governing body. The election, held on August 11, marked a historic multi-cornered contest, with final results announced on Wednesday after three days of vote counting.
The IICC, located on government-allotted land on Lodhi Road, aims to promote mutual understanding and amity among people while depicting Islam as tolerant, liberal, progressive, and rational. The organization's elections are held every five years, with only about 2,000 of its more than 4,000 members eligible to vote in the recent elections.
Talikoti's entry into the IICC election, supported by former IICC president and BJP member Sirajuddin Qureshi, was viewed as an attempt by right-wing forces to exert influence over the Muslim body. Qureshi, who had reached the age limit for holding office as per the IICC's Memorandum of Articles, endorsed Talikoti as his successor, leading to a backlash among members who voted overwhelmingly for Khurshid.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
