A major controversy broke out at the the 34th General Session of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind after its chief Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said that Om and Allah are one and the same. He even claimed that Manu used to worship Om or Allah when Hindu deities like Lord Shiva or Lord Ram were not there. Madani's remarks led to instant furore, and a group of saints walked out from the session. Jain Muni Acharya Lokesh hit out at Madani saying the saints had come to the meeting to stress on unity between different religions, but Madani was trying to weave tales. He even challenged Madani for a debate.