Madrassa withdraws invite to BJP leader Joshi

KANPUR: In what could be termed as an embarrassment to senior BJP leader and city MP Murli Manohar Joshi who was to inaugurate a renovated madrassa in Shyam Nagar here, the seminary principal on Thursday withdrew the invitation under alleged pressure from the Madrassa Intezamia Committee which met on Thursday.
Reports said although madrassa principal Mohd Meraj wanted the BJP MP to inaugurate the seminary, he buckled under pressure from the community, the committee and Muslim clerics who did not want Joshi to grace the occasion for his alleged involvement in Babri Masjid demolition.They instead wanted that the madrassa be inaugurated by some Muslim cleric.
An unsuspecting Joshi had accepted the invitation extended by Mohd Meraj more than a week back. The inauguration function was to be held sometime in January but the dates were not finalized. After extending the invitation, the principal who is also the ‘imam’ of the mosque situated next to the madrassa, was under immense pressure to step down from his religious post of imam.
Mohd Meraj said, "In the context of invitation to Joshi, members of the Madrassa Intazamia Committee met me and expressed disapproval over having him as the chief guest. I have only acted according to the decision taken by the committee."
The principal admitted that he was pressurized to quit the post of 'imam' over the issue, but declined to elaborate further. He added that they had contacted BJP office-bearers and met Joshi on December 3 and expressed the desire that the madrassa be inaugurated by him, the invitation for which was given right there and duly accepted by him. Joshi was also to address the madrassa students.
The locals where the madrassa is situated and some of the Muslim clerics who did not wish to be named, said that "Joshi is guilty of Babri Masjid episode and, therefore, he should not have been invited to inaugurate the seminary."
Contacted, Shaher Qazi Alam Raza Noori backed the decision taken by the Madrassa Intezamia Committee and said "it was a well thought of decision."
BJP city president Surendra Maithani said that he was not aware of any such development. "But if any such development has taken place, we condemn it as acceptance by Joshi ji to inaugurate the madrassa was an effort to build good ties between the Hindus and Muslims and to instill a sense of confidence among both the sections of the society," Maithani said.