A prominent Muslim leader in West Bengal, who is also a cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, has asked the chief minister not to accept an invitation from a woman's group to visit Israel.
Siddiqullah Chowdhury, president of the West Bengal chapter of Jamiat Ulama I Hind and the state library minister, said that India could not have any understanding with Israel and added his party will oppose whatever the Narendra Modi government would do in this regard.
“Israel has vitiated the atmosphere of world peace. What Prime Minister Modi is doing is totally unacceptable. We cannot accept any link of India with Israel. Modi is following the footsteps of Donald Trump who has given recognition of Jerusalem to Israel (as its capital),” said the minister.
“The prime minister has done a major disservice to the Muslim community by embracing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We strongly oppose that attitude of Prime Minister Modi,” Chowdhury said.
An Israeli women's organisation had recently invited Banerjee to participate in a function in Israel.
Asked about it, Chowdhury claimed, “If the chief minister is responsible, she would not attend the function. In fact, I will request her not to accept that invitation to Israel.”
Chowdhury, despite heading the Jamiat Ulama I Hind in Bengal, stood as a Trinamool Congress candidate in the last Assembly election in 2016 and won.
Known to be a hardline Muslim leader in the state, Chowdhury was one of the key players who worked in tandem with Banerjee, so that Muslims voted against the Left Front government in 2011. In a way, he was one of the key faces of change in Bengal in 2011.
He also strongly opposed the triple talaq ban of Supreme Court and warned the Central government against promulgating a law on divorce among Muslims bypassing the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
