By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday condoled the death of Syed Abdullah Bukhari, for long the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, describing him as a great scholar.
Dikshit visited his residence and met his family at the Jama Masjid complex along with Industries Minister Haroon Yusuf.
Dikshit called Bukhari “a great Islamic scholar who used to raise his voice to protect the interest of the poor… Delhi was very dear to his heart”.
She said Bukhari’s death was an irreparable loss “and our country has lost a great scholar”.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad described Bukhari as a man with international fame and said: “I hope that his successors will carry forward his traditions.”
Bukhari, one of India’s most outspoken Muslim leaders, died here Wednesday after prolonged illness. He was 87.
Although he made his son Syed Ahmed Bukhari the Shahi Imam in 2000, he retained the title of Shahi Imam of the 17th-century mosque.