Mohan Bhagwat meets Muslims religious leaders in Delhi to promote dialogue between communities

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat held a closed-door meeting with Muslim religious leaders in Delhi on Thursday (July 24, 2025).

Organised by Ahmed Ilyasi, chief imam of the All India Imam Organisation (AIIO), the meeting saw the participation of around 60 Muslims clerics, chiefs of mosques and intellectuals from the minority community from across the country. The discussion lasted for over three hours at Delhi’s Haryana Bhawan in which both Mr. Bhagwat and Muslim leaders exchanged thoughts and ideas to promote “communal harmony” and “end hatred”.

Terming it as unique initiative, Mr. Ilyasi told The Hindu that more such meetings are expected to follow in the days to come.

“This meeting is unique as it happened in the year when the RSS is celebrating its 100th anniversary and the AIIO is entering its 50th year. Our discussion was focused on topics of communal harmony and national interest. Both sides agreed to the fact that dialogue is the only way to clear misunderstandings,” he said.

Mr. Ilyasi, who had once termed Mr. Bhagwat as ‘Rashtrapita’, said that it was high time that communication channels were established between all the communities in India to end hatred.

“In the meeting, we have proposed that imams and clerics of mosques and priests of temples should initiate dialogue within their communities. The idea was welcomed by Mr. Bhagwat,” he added.

The RSS chief has met a couple of Muslim delegations in the last few years, including a closed door meeting held with a delegation led by former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi in 2022.

He also held a meeting with Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind head Maulana Syed Arshad Madani at the RSS office in 2019.