Delhi’s Shahi Imam invites Nawaz, shuns Modi for son’s anointment

By Dawn.com

Updated about 8 hours ago

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves as he walks with Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, during his visit to in New Delhi on May 27, 2014. -AFP/File Photo

NEW DELHI: Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, on Thursday invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his son’s appointment as the next chief cleric, but excluded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the guest list, theTimes of India reported.

Bukhari did however invite four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including two ministers.

"We have invited the prime minister of Pakistan as we have had relations with him since my father's time, unlike with Modi, whom we have not invited," the paper reported Bukhari as saying.

"Modi has not done anything for Indian Muslims even after coming to power. Indian Muslims have not forgiven him for the 2002 Gujarat riots," Bukhari said, referring to the 2002 riots in Gujarat in which at least 1,000 Muslims were killed.

"Modi has not even apologised (for the riots) and reached out to the Muslims," he said.

"We have also invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi along with Vice President Hamid Ansari," said Bukhari.

The anointment of Bukhari’s son, 19-year-old Shaban,is expected to take place on November 22, while guests have been invited for a dinner on November 29.