MEERUT: Senior clerics at the influential Darul Uloom Deoband Islamic seminary made an appeal for special prayers for “favourable results” on May 23.
Voting for the long-winded seven-phased general elections for the 17th Lok Sabha has come to an end and the results will be declared on May 23.
The prediction of most of the exit polls that BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government will return to power had made the Deoband clerics to offer a special namaz besides regular one for peace and prosperity and protection of our country and its Muslim community.
According to Times Of India reports, Mufti Mehmood Hasan Bulandshahri upset with the exit polls on Sunday night that forecast another term for Modi.
He said, “In the prevailing scenario it is very important to pray very hard for peace and prosperity of our country and for the protection of Muslims, mosques and teachers.”
“You never know whose prayers get accepted and the country moves towards betterment. Till the election results are not declared, I make an appeal to all the institutions that after regular namaz, a special prayer should be recited for favourable results on May 23. These prayers must start three days before,” he said.
Welcoming the appeal, clerics in Deoband have decided to follow his suggestion.
Maulana Ishaq Gora said, “We welcome the suggestion and all Muslims must follow this religiously. We are very concerned with the outcome of election results.”
“Our country needs a government which takes everyone along and work for brotherhood, peace and harmony. Unfortunately, we have a few parties that do politics on the grounds of religion which is not right and they should go. So, all the prayers that Mufti has advised must be taken seriously.”
The exit polls, released on the conclusion of seven-phase Lok Sabha election, also predicted that “others” will gain a significant chunk of seats ranging from 94 to 138.
Twelve of 14 exit polls predicted NDA getting a full majority with the range of seats going from 282 to 365. A party or an alliance needs 271 seats to form the government as Lok Sabha elections have been held on 542 of 543 seats.
The exit polls predicted United Progressive Alliance getting 82 to 165 seats. Six exit polls predicted that “other” parties were likely to get more seats than the the UPA.
With agency inputs