New Delhi: Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, recently named his 19-year-old son Shaban Bukhari as his successor.
The teenager, who is pursuing Bachelors in Social Work at a private university here, will be anointed as the ‘Nayab Shahi Imam’ (Vice Imam) at a ceremony on November 22.
For the ceremony, the Shahi Imam of the country’s largest mosque has sent out invitations to several Indian and foreign political leaders, nearly 1,000 religious leaders from across the world, and others.Also on the invitee list is Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
However, Bukhari has failed to invite his own Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to the event. Though, he has sent out invites to several ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Dr Harsh Vardhan.
Bukhari says Indian Muslims have still not been able to relate themselves with PM Modi, who has been accused of playing a role in the 2002 Gujarat riots but has been exonerated by various courts and investigating agencies.
Meanwhile, also present at the ceremony will be Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.