Arvind Kejriwal courts controversy over meeting Muslim cleric Maulana Tauqeer Rana

NEW DELHI: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal today came under attack from the BJP and Congress for meeting controversial Muslim cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in Bareilly recently and was accused of playing the 'communal card'.

While the Congress dubbed AAP as the "B team of BJP", the BJP lashed out at Kejriwal saying the meeting has exposed him.

The AAP chief today sought to downplay the meeting saying he had gone to Bareilly on a religious tour and met the Muslim leader because "he is a respectable person in the town".

"I had gone to the dargah to pray for a corruption free India and met Mualana Raza Saheb as he is a very respected man there. I met him and appealed him that everyone should come together to save the country as it is going through a sensitive phase," Kejriwal said.

On the accusation of playing 'the communal card',Kejriwal said he has been visiting temples, mosques and meeting many people.

He clarified that he was not aware of the charges against the Maulana of issuing a fatwa against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

He said that he spoke to the muslim cleric today again and he told him that all that is being said about him is wrong.

"I spoke to him and he told me that he can never issue a fatwa as fatwa is issued by Mufti. He told me that the head of a board of hundred people, of which he too was a member years ago, had issued the fatwa. He also told me that just because he is more known and respected among the people, his name came into the picture," Kejriwal said.

The AAP chief said that he and his party followers don't believe in the politics of violence and they have entered politics to change it.

Moreover, he said, that his party is not getting into any alliance with the Maulana.

When asked about the meeting, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan said that he always liked Kejriwal for initiating the India against Corruption movement.

"To stem the rot in the system, one has to get into the system. To clean the garbage, we need 'Jhadu' (broom--AAP's poll symbol)," the Maulana said.

Congress spokesman Meem Afzal alleged that Kejriwal whose politics originated with the backing of the RSS was trying to make Muslims "a football" for electoral mileage.

I don't understand what the hullabaloo is regarding Arvind's meeting the Maulana.

We must understand that for whatever historical reasons, the Muslims and Christians are now part and parcel of India.

We must also understand that most of them were once Hindus and were converted by force or by bribes to become Muslims or Christians.

The Muslims by the rulers from Afghanistan and Persia who came to plunder India and the Christians by St. Thomas who who first lay foot in Kerala, in 57 AD.

I don't consider the Sikhs and Buddhists as separate from Hindus for we must remember that the Sikh religion was formed for the protection of the Hindus.

The Hindus have no problem with the Sikhs or the Buddhists because they do not preach conversion of Infidels into their religion.

On the other hand both the Christians and Muslims preach that their religion is the only true religion and any person who can converts another person into their religion would find the gates of Heaven/Jannat open for him.

The Hindus would do better in their relations with other religions if they removed the warts in their own religion.

Untouchability which is still prevalent in most parts of North India has not been removed even after 65 years of Independence and is even gaining strength if the latest government recommendation of the government to include "caste" in the census is any guide.

Khap panchayats still issue instructions on who should marry whom. Gothras are names which we inherit from the Rishis who are said to be our original forefathers.

We are removed from them by a thousand generations and killing a couple because they are related to one another because of a common forefather of thousands of generation ago is taking things too far. When even MPs like Naveen Jindal of the Congress party support, you can realize how backward we still are.

Who are the person's most responsible for the caste and religious divide.

The politicians are the main culprits.

They do not want the castes and religions to think correctly and are interested in Vote bank politics.

In the above episode we see just that.

Arvind has gone to the Maulana as a person.

Chor ki Dari mein Tinka.

The Congress and BJP start thinking along the only lines they are capable of - communal.