Muslim Scholars Slam Congress Leader for Objecting to PM Modi Gifting Bhagavad Gita to Putin

By Sadab khan|New Delhi

Several prominent Muslim religious leaders and scholars on Saturday strongly criticized Congress leader Hussain Dalwai for raising objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting a Russian-language copy of the Bhagavad Gita to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his two-day visit to India.

**Muslim scholars lash out at Congress leader who objected to gifting the Gita to Putin (Photo: X)**

The Muslim clerics called Dalwai’s attempt to create controversy over the gesture “inappropriate” and a reflection of “wrong criticism”.

**What Dalwai had said**
Hussain Dalwai had stated:
“I don’t understand the purpose of gifting the Gita. Religious texts should not be used for political or international purposes. If that is the intention, then the Quran, Bible, and Guru Granth Sahib should also have been gifted.”

**Strong rebuttal from Muslim leaders**

Chairman of the All India Imam Association, Maulana Sajid Rashidi, launched a sharp attack:
“Today, the real reason behind Congress’s downfall is people like these who ask absurd and meaningless questions. I want to ask Hussain Dalwai – when you gift books to others, will you give the Gita? No, you will give the Quran, right? Because you want to promote the Quran and want people to read it. Similarly, a Hindu will naturally gift the Gita according to his faith. Why would he gift the Quran?”

All India Shia Personal Law Board General Secretary Maulana Yasoob Abbas also criticised Dalwai:
“A leader of a national party should not misuse religion to mislead humanity. In my view, this should not be politicised. This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. Responsible authorities need to take note of this.”

**BJP hits back**

Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh targeted the entire INDIA bloc over Dalwai’s remark:
“Leaders of Congress and members of the INDIA bloc keep giving baseless and meaningless statements. Sometimes they call Lord Ram imaginary, sometimes they attack Sanatan culture, and sometimes they make absurd remarks. This is why the people of the country have isolated them and thrown them out of power.”

BJP MLA Saroj Pandey also slammed Dalwai:
“India is first and foremost ‘Hindustan’. What problem does he have with President Putin being gifted the Gita in Russian language? Do Muslims have the right to question what the Prime Minister gifts and to whom?”

The strong backlash from Muslim religious scholars as well as the ruling party has turned the spotlight on the Congress leader’s remarks, with many calling it an unnecessary attempt to communalise a cultural-diplomatic gesture.