Muslim clerics pose six questions to RSS

Abhishek Bajpai Kanpur, Feb 17: A delegation of Muslim clerics led by the Sunni Ulema Council's General Secretary met RSS functionary Indresh and posed six questions to the Sangh including whether it has prepared a format to turn India into a Hindu 'rashtra', which he claimed left the saffron outfit irritated.

The Muslim delegation claimed that Indresh refused to answer their questions and instead said that a conference of Muslim organisations should be called where he would give the answers.

"We had a meeting with senior RSS functionary Indreshji last night during which we asked six questions, but he did not have any answer," Sunni Ulema Council General Secretary Haji Mohammed Salees told PTI today.

He alleged that Indreshji, who is pracharak and looks after minority affairs in the organisation, got "irritated" with the questions. "Our first question was whether RSS considers India a Hindu country.

The second one was whether RSS has prepared a format to turn India into a Hindu 'rashtra'. The third one was whether this Hindu 'rashtra' will be according to Hindu religious texts or RSS has chalked out a new philosophy," he said. Salees said, "The fourth question was what they want on religious conversion.

The fifth one was what type of 'rashtra prem' (patriotism) RSS wants from Muslims. The sixth one was how RSS views Islam," he said. He said that these were the six questions which Indreshji "failed" to answer. "They (RSS) did not have any format. They are shouting about 'Hindu rashtra' only on the basis of propaganda," he alleged. Salees feared that if Hindu Rashtra was built on Hindu texts, Dalits could once again not be allowed to enter temples.

"We asked whether a new philosophy has been chalked out by RSS. If a new philosophy has been chalked out that means Hindu religion is not religious culture. In that case, anyone can convert," he said.

PTI