Rahul 'enlightens' Muslim scholars

Deoband: Congress MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi on Monday visited the famous Darul Uloom at Deoband and urged the scholars and the students to adopt a modern approach.

"You need to work in a modern way, think in a new way and then only we can change the situation," Rahul said in his address to the scholars and the students of one of the oldest centre of Islamic sciences in Asia.

He said that he was a 'blind' person and could not differentiate between a Hindu and Muslim person.

"I am blind, yes I can't see...I can't differentiate between two Indians. I can't differentiate who is a Muslim, who is a Brahmin and who is a Thakur. I am blind. I believe that we all are one, we all are Indians," he said amidst the cheering crowd.

Referring to his legacy of Nehru-Gandhi family that stood for the secular cause of the country, he said, "And yes I want to say one last thing, don't forget that I am the grandson of Indira Gandhi. If one Indian thrashes another then I will be there to stop it. "

Rahul, who is on a road show to west Uttar Pradesh to improve his Congress party's performance in the forthcoming polls, today reached here late afternoon and met students of the Islamic school.

During his interaction with the students he asked them about their educational system.

"He was more interested in the system of education, the problems and the welfare of the scholars and the students," said Maulana Muqim, a scholar here.

Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters, Rahul said that the demolition of Babri Masjid was a "grave mistake" that has permanently left a scar on country's culture.

He also admitted that the Congress Party's alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1996 was also a mistake.

"It was a sell-out alliance and a mistake. We will not repeat such mistakes and will look for alliances only where the party not loses its ground," he said.

He said that his party's talk with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and former Prime Minister V P Singh's Jan Morcha for an alliance in the Assembly polls are still going on.