Thiruvananthapuram, February 17 Several social media accounts supporting the BJP celebrated a high-profile meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and influential Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, also known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, the Grand Mufti of India, in Kerala.
"What a beautiful picture," BJP leader Padmaja Venugopal wrote on her Facebook page on Monday, sharing a photograph of Modi holding Musliyar's hand.
"It is an image that conveys warmth, love, and care to everyone who sees it. Kerala is recognizing the false propaganda and misleading narratives spread by the Left Front and the Congress about the BJP. Kerala is changing," she wrote.
Meanwhile, Musliyar's office said the influential cleric held a meaningful discussion with the Prime Minister on a wide range of social, humanitarian, educational, and developmental matters.
Key issues concerning minority welfare and important international developments were also discussed.
"Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad brought to the Prime Minister's attention the concerns and requests gathered from various sections of society during his recent Kerala tour conducted under the theme “With Humanity.”
He further conveyed his message and reflections for the forthcoming holy month of Ramadan," the office said.
The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the educational and social welfare initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Samastha Kerala Jam'iyyathul Ulama and Jamia Markaz, noting that such efforts significantly contribute to societal progress and enhance India's reputation at the global level, it said.
The discussions also emphasized the importance of inclusive development that embraces all sections of society, prioritizing happiness and human development indices alongside economic growth, and ensuring equitable allocation of resources based on population proportion and regional balance, the office said.
Other matters raised included concerns related to Waqf and SIR, protection of historic mosques and Islamic heritage monuments, reinstatement of minority educational welfare schemes including the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, ensuring justice for innocent individuals, and challenges faced by Islamic institutions in North India such as Mubarakpur Jamia Ashrafiyya.
He also raised proposals for train services connecting major pilgrimage centres in South India, and the development of the Aligarh University Malappuram Centre, it said.
The need for closer engagement between the Central Government and minority communities across the country was also highlighted.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Saquafi, Secretary of Samastha Kerala Jam'iyyathul Ulama, and Dr Muhammed Abdul Hakkim Azhari, Managing Director of Markaz Knowledge City, were present at the meeting.
