In an interaction with Arvind Kejriwal for her programme ‘Buck Stops Here’ on NDTV, Barkha Dutt pounced on Kejriwal accusing him of playing communal politics by meeting with Muslim scholar Maulana Tawqir who is member of a 100-Ulema committee that deliberates and issues Fatwa/guidelines to Muslims and a Fatwa had been issued against Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi citizen.
Kejriwal responded, first by explaining that he was not aware of any such antecedent of the Maulana when he had met him. The Maulana, in one of his speeches, has come out to be very secular and inclusive. Kejriwal promised to give Barkha a CD of Maulana’s speech and asked her to telecast that positive side of people, rather than going for negatives every time. Kejriwal further explained that he has been visiting all religious places—temples, gurudwaras, and churches. But the media hardly took notice. However, as soon as he visited a dargah and met a Muslim scholar, all hell broke loose with the media.
Ghulam Muhammed
Mumbai