RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat meets top Muslim cleric at Delhi mosque, both say 'our DNA is same'

Taking forward his outreach to the Muslim community, Mohan Bhagwat, the head of Hindutava fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh met Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief of All India Imam Organisation, at a mosque in national capital Delhi.

The closed-door meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, was held at Kasturba Gandhi Marg mosque where the office of the All India Imam Organisation is located.

Bhagwat was accompanied by senior Sangh functionaries -- joint general secretary Krishna Gopal, Ram Lal and Indresh Kumar. While Lal was earlier organisational secretary of the BJP, Indresh is patron of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch.

The RSS chief has been holding discussions with Muslim intellectuals for strengthening communal harmony.

He had recently met Delhi's former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi, former chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui and businessman Saeed Shervani.

During the meeting, Bhagwat had raised the issue of usage of the word "kafir" for Hindus which, he said, does not send out a good message. The Muslim intellectuals, on the other hand, objected to some right-wing activists calling the Muslims "jihadi" and "Pakistanis".

Also watch: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Gyanvapi: why look for Shivling in every mosque?

All India Imam Organisation head Umer Ahmed Ilyas after meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat told PTI ‘our DNA is the same, only our method of worshipping god is different’.

Ilyas also termed Bhagwat 'rashtra pita' and said the RSS chief had visited Mosque at his invitation and interacted with children there.