Prime Minister Narendra Modi met a delegation of 40 Barelvi Sufi scholars from various parts of the country Thursday and asked them to counter forces of extremism that are attempting to weaken the Sufi ideology.
Alluding to the rise of groups like the Islamic State (IS), Modi told them that it was essential for them to act through various avenues including on social media so that the ideology of extremism does not take root in India.
The prime minister said the tradition of Sufism has kept evil at bay, wherever it flourished. Modi also exhorted the Muslim community in India to take maximum advantage of the skill development schemes and programmes being initiated by the Union government.
He assured the delegation that issues of Waqf property raised by the members would be looked into. He wanted Sufi culture and music should be suitably promoted in each state, an official release said.
During the course of their interaction, members of the delegation stated that Islam does not preach hatred.They also urged the prime minister to work towards development of people irrespective of caste, community or religion.
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