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Pak hawk is one with VHP on cow slaughter
K G Suresh in New Delhi |
July 22, 2003 22:11 IST
Last Updated: July 22, 2003 22:42 IST
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has found a most unlikely ally in its campaign against cow slaughter -- Fazal-ur Rehman, chief of Jamait Ulema-e-Islam.
At a meeting with the top brass of VHP in the capital on Monday, Rehman not only supported a ban on cow slaughter but also agreed to endorse such a move in writing, sources told PTI.
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During their 50-minute long meeting at a five-star hotel in the heart of the capital, Imtiaz Alam, Lahore-based journalist of Pakistani daily The News, who assisted Rehman, tried to raise the issue of Babri Masjid demolition, but another delegation member interrupted saying it was 'India's internal matter', the sources said.
Rehman was also believed to have asked the VHP leaders why they were bent upon demolishing mosques to which the Sangh outfit's senior vice-president Giriraj Kishore retorted, "Why were the Muslims silent when thousands of temples were pulled down and mosques built over them?"
Rehman did not respond when Kishore suggested that Ulemas and Hindu leaders from both India and Pakistan sit across the table and delete 'objectionable portions' from their respective religious texts.
Both the VHP and RSS had been demanding removal of three words 'Kafir' (idolator), 'Kufr' (the philosophy behind it) and 'Jehad' (Holy War) from the Holy Koran, saying it would establish permanent peace between the two communities.
When the Pakistani opposition leader pointed out that there were very few instances of Hindu-Muslim riots in his country, the VHP leaders asked him: "How many Hindus are left their now?"
Rehman invited the VHP leaders to be his guests in Pakistan.