Row over Kanthapuram’s ‘no hardship for Muslims’ remark

Kozhikode: Sunni leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar's remark that Muslims in India face no obstacles or hardships drew sharp criticism from Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM) Markazudawa while opposition leader V D Satheesan said that it was Kanthapuram's personal opinion and that minorities were battling insecurity in India.Responding to a media question after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, Kanthapuram had said that Muslims in the country do not face any difficulty and he had added that mosques, Arabic colleges and madrassas were functioning smoothly. He had also added that political matters did not come up for discussion at the meeting.KNM Markazudawa secretary I P Abdul Salam said that Kanthapuram, who had voiced similar views after earlier meetings with the Prime Minister and some Union ministers, had remained silent on incidents such as communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, Assam and Gujarat. Salam added that Kanthapuram did not speak up when questions were raised over the citizenship of minorities.Salam said that though the Prime Minister had referred to Kanthapuram as the grand mufti of India, he added that no one had elected Kanthapuram to that post to represent the entire Muslim community. Salam said that he suspects that the meeting was part of Sangh Parivar's efforts to warm up to the minority community while eyeing votes in the upcoming elections.Meanwhile, AP Sunni faction leader Ibraheem Khaleelul Bukhari said that Kanthapuram had said that the community was safe in the sense that they were living in the largest democratic country and under the Constitution.Meanwhile, the opposition leader said that what Kanthapuram said was his personal opinion and he is entitled to his views and air his opinions. However, Satheesan also reminded that minorities in the country, including Muslims and Christians, are feeling insecure.Kanthapuram had met Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Monday morning and they had exchanged views on a wide range of issues. Kanthapuram had said that he had discussed social, humanitarian, educational and developmental issues along with matters concerning minority welfare and international developments with Modi.