A furious Bukhari allegedly slapped Chishti and grabbed him by collar as the battery of mediamen tried to intervene and rescue the sufi activist. Bukhari’s supporters also manhandled the journalist, who was somehow whisked away from the scene by his fraternity members.

Bukhari, who was addressing a press conference, lost his cool when Chishti asked him about the name of one Dasarath in the record of the disputed land before 1528. He also asked the imam why the land in Ayodhya could not be given to the Hindus for constructing a temple.

Terming Chishti as an agent of the Congress party, Bukhari used abusing language against him and also asked his supporters to thrash him.

Earlier addressing the pmedia, the imam of Jama Masjid said trifurcation of the disputed land was not acceptable to the Muslims and that the High Court verdict must be challenged in the Supreme Court.