NEW DELHI: The Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said on Thursday he had invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his son’s anointment as the next chief cleric, and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said he had also invited four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including two ministers.

“We have invited the prime minister of Pakistan as we have had relations with him since my father’s time, unlike Mr Modi, whom we have not invited,” Mr Bukhari remarked.

The anointment of Mr Bukhari’s son, 19-year-old Shaban, will take place on Nov 22. The guests have been invited for a special dinner on Nov 29.

“Modi has not done anything for Indian Muslims even after coming to power. Indian Muslims have not forgiven him for the 2002 Gujarat riots,” he said, referring to the communal clashes in which around 1,000 Muslims were killed.

“Modi has not even apologised (for the riots) and reached out to the Muslims,” he added.

“We have also invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi along with (Indian) Vice President Hamid Ansari,” Mr Bukhari added.

—By arrangement with the Times of India

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014