NEW DELHI, India: The Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Thursday invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the anointment ceremony of his son on November 22.
However, he did not invite the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ceremony, triggering a controversy.
The 19-year-old Shaban will be anointed as the ‘Naib Shahi Imam’ (Vice Imam) at a ceremony in the historic Jama Masjid which is expected to be attended by religious leaders including some from abroad, according to the Press Trust of India.
“I have invited several Indian and foreign political leaders for attending the anointment ceremony of my son. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also been invited, but I have not sent invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Muslims have not forgiven him for the Gujarat riots,” Bukhari said in New Delhi.
“It is not a personal fight. He does not like us and we do not like him. Modi never tried to reach out to the Muslims and kept the Muslims at a distance,” Bukhari said justifying the decision of not inviting Modi.
