By IANS,
New Delhin : Prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom’s newly elected vice chancellor Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi Friday denied praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he had been misquoted.
“I have not praised Modi. I have been misquoted,” Vastanvi told IANS here, adding that he was “disappointed” at his words being taken out of context.
In a statement released in Urdu, he apologised if his misconstrued remarks had hurt any sentiments.
A national daily had reported last week that Vastanvi praised Modi and said that it was time to move on from the 2002 Gujarat riots. The comments drew heavy criticism from Muslim religious scholars and political leaders from different parts of the country.
Vastanvi clarified that he was asked by the reporter about what he thought of the 2002 Gujrat riots and he had replied that it was an eight-year-old issue and what was its relevance now.
“But I have been misquoted saying that we (the community) must move on,” he said.
“I have full faith in the Indian democracy. The people who have suffered in Gujarat will get justice and the culprits will get punished,” he said, adding that the massacre in Gujarat was unforgettable.
“We have to fight the battle of justice in Gujarat,” added Vastanvi.
On the future plans for Darul Uloom, he said that he has to move fast.
“Having more than 30 departments, Darul Uloom is a systematic institution. We don’t have to change its system but we have to move fast to achieve its goal.”
Already running medical and engineering colleges in Gujarat and Maharashtra, Vastanvi has introduced medicine, engineering and allied subjects in madarsas in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Vastanvi was appointed as the Darul Uloom vice chancellor Jan 10