13, Sep 2015

The Muslims residing in the area are upset that the participation of a chief minister, in a way, gave legitimacy to what Muslims have been objecting to – saffronisation of the shrine.
Published:Sep 13, 2015, 5:02
The two-day All India Women’s meet of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) kicked off on Saturday at the disputed premises of Imam Shah Bawa dargah at Pirana on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. It’s a sufi shrine where Hindus and Muslims have been offering prayers for centuries. This is for the first time that a chief minister attended an event organised by the RSS on the disputed campus. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, who inaugurated the event, said that “the current condition of women and children was a subject of concern and debate”. The convener of “Akhil Bharatiya Mahila Samanvay”, Gita Gunde, did not allow mediapersons to sit through the event, although they had been invited to attend one part of the inaugural session. Anandiben watched as Gunde asked all mediapersons to leave the room a second time when they were escorted back by the RSS media manager Abhimanyu Samrat.
The Muslims residing in the area are upset that the participation of a chief minister, in a way, gave legitimacy to what Muslims have been objecting to – saffronisation of the shrine. They said since 2003, Muslims have been barred from taking out tazia procession during Muharram or celebrating their festivities due to “law and order problems”, wondering whether the same didn’t apply to Hindus who keep organising their events on the premises.