Muslim cleric slams Narendra Modi for his three-day fast

Maulana Abul Qasim Banarasi, the Vice-Chancellor of the Darul Uloom Deoband Islamic University, has slammed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his three-day fast to promote communal harmony, and said that he does not have a genuine concern for communal amity.

Talking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Banarasi said that Modi's intention about promoting communal harmony was not genuine.

"We can use any statements or words, but in my view this (the three-day communal amity fast undertaken by Modi) is not genuine. His move can be termed as a drama," he added.

He also said that by undertaking fasts like this Modi cannot get rid of his sins committed during the communal riots in Gujarat.

"Modi cannot get rid of all his sins during the entire communal violence in Gujarat state by simply observing a fast. I think Muslims should not support him or touch his feet. This is against the self-respect of Muslims and I think they should refrain from supporting him," said Banarasi.

Modi began a 'harmony fast' on Saturday to soften his image as a hardliner blamed for religious riots that claimed thousands of lives.

 The fast is seen as a bid by Modi and his party, the BJP, to launch him as a national leader as the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government loses popularity over inflation and corruption scams.