Sena felicitates Dargah diwan for opposing Ashraf's visit

AJMER: Shiv Sena today felicitated here the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan for boycotting Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's recent visit to the shrine.

A delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut honoured Ali, the descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti and Ajmer Dargah Diwan, by presenting him with a sword and a shawl as a token of respect.

The move came after Ali's boycott of Ashraf's visit in protest of the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan Army on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in January.

"We came here on direction by our leader Uddhav to personally thank and honour Diwan sahab for showing courage to oppose the visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister," Raut told reporters after his meeting with the Diwan.

He said the visit should not be politicised. During the meeting, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray also spoke to the Diwan on telephone and invited him to visit Maharastra.

In turn, Diwan also invited Thackeray to be his guest in Ajmer. Sena had also strongly opposed the Pakistani Prime Minister's visit.