Muslim Cerics with Rajnath Singh in Delhi on Tuesday
Amid a nationwide crackdown on Islamic State (IS) recruitment, a delegation of Muslim clerics and leaders met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and discussed “issues concerning the community”. Source said the home minister sought the delegation’s support to prevent Muslim youth from being lured by oufits like the IS.
According to sources, Singh admitted a “lack of confidence” in the government among some religious groups.
“The minister started off by saying that he wanted a free and open dialogue to resolve these pending issues and to clarify some of the misperceptions that are created by controversial remarks that give a negative impression about BJP-RSS,” said a source.
Community leaders raised a range of issues, including the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia, the Communal Violence Bill and the 123 Wakf properties in Delhi that are in possession of various government agencies.
“The problem is that behind closed doors, the minister talks about lack of confidence, but the government, instead of taking punitive action against communal loudmouths, actually rewards them,” said a cleric present at the meeting.
NSA Ajit Doval and IB chief Dineshwar Sharma also attended the meeting.
According to sources, the home minister sought the support of the delegation in counter radicalisation measures to prevent Muslim youth from falling prey to outfits like the IS. At the same time, he stressed that India’s traditions and family values would thwart any radicalisation attempts.