‘Even Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shared stage with him’: Digvijaya Singh on meeting Zakir Naik

New Delhi: A day after the BJP targeting Congress leader Digvijay Singh over sharing a dais with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, a video showing Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sharing the stage with the same preacher has gone viral.

The video shows Sri Sri, the Art of Living founder attending an Islamic Research Foundation Programme with Zakir Naik. Maharashtra PCC secretary, Shehzad Poonawalla posted the video footage was on the social media.

Hitting back at the BJP, Digvijay Singh on Friday posed a question to the ruling party, wondering what it would say about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sharing the stage with Zakir.

“I am being criticised for sharing a stage with Zakir Naik but what about Rajnath Singh ji meeting bomb blast accused Pragya Thakur ?”

 “Pragya is an accused in a bomb blast. Is there a case against Zakir Naik as yet? What about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji sharing stage with Zakir ?”, he said in a series of tweets.

“If Rajnath Singhji goes and visits Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, that is nationalism?”

“If Sri Sri Ravishankar shares stage with him, that is nationalism. If I share stage, I’m anti-national? What kind of double standards are these?”

The Congress leader has in the past too alleged that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya in jail when BJP was in the opposition. Rajnath Singh, who is now the Union Home Minister, had then denied meeting her.

Digvijay Singh is being targeted by the BJP after the surfacing of a 2012 video showing him praising Zakir, who has come under government scrutiny after reports emerged that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by him.

Digvijay has defended himself, saying if there was any evidence against the preacher, then the Indian and Bangladeshi governments should take action against him.

“I have appealed for communal harmony and opposed religious fundamentalism and terrorism by either Hindus or Muslims,” the Congress leader had said.