Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband's newly elected Chief Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi has said majority of Muslims in Gujarat are happy and prospering and asked members of the community to leave behind Godhra riots and move on. However,Vastanvi,who himself hails from Gujarat,refused to comment on the performance of the Chief Minister Narendra Modi,saying he had been elected by the masses. "I believe that most of the Muslims in Gujarat are prospering. Excluding a few,who are embroiled in one case or the other,most of them are happy with their work. Their financial condition is also good," the newly elected Darul Uloom Vice-Chancellor told said in an interview. Asked about Modi and his government in the state,he said,"Narendra Modi is the Chief Minister. He has been elected by the masses and as such I cannot give any opinion on him. The people of Gujarat should be asked how they rate him and his government. What can I say about him?" On 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat,he said,"It's time Muslims left it behind and moved on." The cleric,however,was quick to add,"By saying this,I don't mean that we should forget the incident forever. I don't want to talk more on this as the issue is sub-judice. By the way,I don't know much about the riots as I live in Maharashtra." Commenting on the issue of right wing terror,the cleric said,"Whoever is involved in terrorism should be punished. Terrorism should not be given a name. Hindu,Muslim and everybody of this country cutting across all religions should stand against terrorism which is a threat for the country." When asked about BJP President Nitin Gadkari's plans to reach out to Muslims,Vastanvi said it was purely a political issue and he would not comment on it. Vastanvi recently won the election to become rector of the Islamic seminary following the death of his predecessor Marghoob ur Rehman,who had held the position for 30 years. He holds an MBA degree along with degrees in Islamic law.
