Meet the cleric who issued ‘diktat’ against PM
KOLKATA: Known for his flowing burgundy beard, Kolkata’s Noor-ur-Rehman Barkati has also built up quite a reputation for his acerbic tongue.
The head of the famous Tipu Sultan mosque at the heart of the city’s business district is in the habit of issuing fatwas or religious rulings at regular intervals and hogging the headlines. He did it again last week, issuing an edict against none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his demonetisation drive.
Claiming that many have been forced into penury in the wake of the scrapping of high-value banknotes, Barkati announced a cash reward of `25 lakhs for anyone who blackens Modi’s face. His latest diktat outraged many and the BJP lodged a complaint with the police, seeking his immediate arrest.
But Barkati is unfazed and continues to roil others with his fatwas. His place cemented as “Bengal’s fatwa man”, he is continuing to stand his ground.
“I stand by my fatwa against Modi... He is also responsible for the death of the 127 (so far) who died queuing up in front of banks and ATMs after demonetisation,” Barkati told HT.
He even claimed to have received hundreds of congratulatory phone calls and messages from different cities after his latest fatwa.
Before targeting Modi, he had directed his ire at Dilip Gosh, the West Bengal BJP president for his alleged disparaging comments against chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
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