On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Ruby Asif Khan performed the Visarjan ritual to immerse the idol of Lord Ganesha at the Narora Ghat amid heavy security. This is after the Islamic clerics and muftis had issued death threats and fatwas against her for installing the idol of Lord Ganesha and celebrating the Ganesh festival at her residence in Aligarh.
Ruby Asif Khan is the Mandal Vice President of BJP’s Mahila Morcha in Aligarh.
According to the reports, Khan, unfazed by the threats and fatwas issued against her, travelled all the way from Aligarh to Narora with her two sisters and her husband for the immersion ceremony of Lord Ganesha. “I am taking Lord Ganesha’s idol for immersion at Narora Ghat. Maulanas are saying that I have become a Hindu as I am celebrating this festival”, she said.
UP: BJP leader Ruby Asif Khan defies fatwa, death threat; steps out for Ganesh idol immersion
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“I am receiving threats to boycott me from Islam and to burn my family alive. When I go out, people call me names but I am not afraid of fatwas and Maulanas. The way I installed the idol, in the same way, I will immerse with due respect”, she added on September 7. She further said that she would continue to worship and install Lord Ganesh’s idol without any fear.
Earlier, the Mufti Arshad Farooqui from Deoband had issued a fatwa against Khan for performing the Puja of Lord Ganesha in his house amid Ganeshotsav this year. The Mufti said that Khan’s conduct was unIslamic. He had said that Lord Ganesha is highly revered by Hindus and he is known to bring happiness and prosperity with knowledge, but in Islam, there is no idol worship.
“In Islam, no one is worshipped except Allah. Those who are doing this are against Islam. Those who worship an idol, the same decree is issued against them which is issued for those who go against Islam”, he had added. Responding to this the BJP leader then had said that such clerics and muftis are not true Muslims and they just want to divide the country.
Refusing to bow down to the Mufti, Khan further added, “Muftis and Maulana are of extremist and jihadi mindset. These people do not talk about Hindustan while staying in India and if he is a true Muslim, he should not talk like this”, she said.
Ruby stated that she has always been celebrating Hindu festivals and will continue to do so. She said that the cleric even got posters put up against her in the past but she only wants to maintain Hindu-Muslim unity. Earlier, it was reported that Ruby Asif Khan installed a Ganesha idol at her home for seven days. Ruby, a resident of the ADA colony under the Rorawar police circle, brought a Ganesh idol to her home and set it up with all rituals.
