India’s Minister for Minority Affairs has visited Madinah, one of the holiest sites in Islam on Monday.
In a post on X, Irani said she had undertaken a ‘historic journey’ to Madinah and had also visited the periphery of the Masjid-e-Nabwi.
Irani also added that she had visited Uhud mountain and Masjid-e-Quba.
“The significance of the visit to these sites courtesy Saudi officials, intertwined with early Islamic history, underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement,” she wrote.
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan also accompanied her on the visit.
Irani is currently on a two-day visit to India which has also included the signing of a bilateral Hajj agreement. The delegation also interacted with volunteers who assisted pilgrims in 2023.
Under the agreement, a quota of 175,025 pilgrims has been awarded to India, a majority of which will be handled by the government.
Irani, a former TV actress and producer turned politician has slowly climbed the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is now one of its prominent faces. She defeated Rahul Gandhi to become the MP from Amethi in the 2019 election.
However, she has been the subject of many controversies including the allegation of dubious educational qualifications.
She has also made headlines for making remarks against India’s Muslim minority.
In May 2023, she praised a movie alled Kerala Stories which depicted the forceful conversion of Hindu women to Islam and their eventual journey towards terrorist organisations. The movie was released in the midst of a ‘love jihad’ campaign by right-wing elements in India.
As outrage emerged across India over the film, Irani called it a ‘wake-up call’. She added that anyone criticising the movie was a terrorist sympathiser.
