New Delhi: Siding with Narendra Modi for not accepting skull cap, leading Muslim leader Mahmood Madani has said such an act amounts to "politics of symbolism".
Madani, however, said the Gujarat Chief Minister should take steps to mend relations with the community by ensuring justice to those affected in 2002 riots so that a "relationship can be built".
"It is allright for Modi to not accept a skull cap as even I will not sport a tilak.
"Accepting or wearing skull cap is politics of symbolism and political parties should desist from doing such things. By resorting to this, the pseudo-secular parties merely show-off. Instead they should look at solving problems of the community," Madani, who is the general-secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, said.
Modi had sparked off a controversy after he refused to accept a skull cap few years back. In a recent interview, he sought to justify his act saying he does not believe in "politics of appeasement".
Asked on what steps should Modi take if he has to better his relations with the community, Madani said he has to first ensure justice to the 2002 Gujarat riot victims.
"The onus is on him (Modi) to mend the relations. He has a history of 12 years, which speaks for itself.
But what he should do is ensure that those affected by the 2002 communal riots get justice. If that is done, a relationship can be built," he added.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.