JIH discussed mob lynching, bulldozer politics at confidential meeting with RSS, says Gen Secretary
New Delhi: T Arif Ali, general secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), said that the organization leaders held a closed door meeting with the leaders of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) in the city on January 14.
This was a major political development, as the JIH, like other Muslim organizations, had earlier opposed strongly the RSS ideology as well as the idea of Hindu Rashtra.
When asked if the JIH approval would not indicate an act of legitimizing the RSS, Ali, told The New Indian Express that, on the contrary, the RSS, by agreeing to have a dialogue with Muslim organizations, was proving that the Union government was under their control.
Ali said that former election commissioner S Y Qureshi along with former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, Shahis Siddeeqi, and Sayeed Sherwani, initiated the talks by meeting RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat in August 2022. Qureshi then spoke to the Muslim organizations, including the JIH, asking for cooperation, said Ali.
“We had made it clear that the dialogue should be on equal level, have a structure and also be transparent. Both the parties should be willing to listen to each other. We also insisted that there should be a logical conclusion at the end of the meeting. We were very clear in our stand that the discussion must not be based on individual and organizational interests. If the discussion is against the interest of the Indian public we had decided to back off,” Ali said, adding that Qureshi assured the leaders of the JIH that their demands would be met.
Speaking of the issues discussed during the meeting with the RSS, he said that the organizations and citizens representing the Muslim community brought up matters of mob lynching, bulldozer politics and the arrest of innocent people. The RSS, on the other hand, wished to discuss the Kashi and Mathura mosque issues, which they called a matter of faith of the people, Ali said and added, “We told them that we cannot comment on that. Jamaat-e-Islami has always taken a tough stand against any kind of settlement dialogue with RSS.”
He said that two factions of the Jamiyathul Ulama, which represent a large section of the Muslim community, representatives of Ahl-e-Hadees, Shia and Ajmeer Chishti, and Muslim scholars also participated in the dialogue.
Asked if having such a dialogue would prove problematic for the JIH, the general secretary said, “Jamaat-e-Islami is an organization with a clear program. We discussed at the top level the position to be taken at the meeting. We also informed the cadres about our stand. I think that it is not wise to take a stand that we won’t talk to an organization that is leading the government at the centre.”
Further, when asked if he expected to have more such discussions, Ali said that such meetings would continue. “The initial talks were held with second layer leaders. Discussions between top level leaders will be held later,” said Arif Ali.
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Karnataka Speaker Khader finishes fourth in Dirt Prix event
Mangaluru (PTI): Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Sunday finished fourth in a dirt track racing event organised by the Indian Motor Sports Club here.
Driving a Volkswagen Polo GT, Khader narrowly missed a podium finish, ending just seconds behind the third-place finisher.
An avid motorsport enthusiast since his college days, Khader has participated in several racing events involving both motorcycles and cars.
Organisers said his performance on the dirt track was consistent with his previous racing record.
Speaking informally after the event, Khader said he continues to follow motorsport and enjoys driving, describing the experience as a "refreshing change" from his official responsibilities.
The Dirt Prix event saw participation from multiple racers and was aimed at promoting grassroots motorsport.
