Taliban Minister attends RSS affiliate’s event before Deoband visit, enthralls audience with…

New Delhi: Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, October 9. He held a crucial meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday, October 10, as both held discussions on India(BHARAT)’s support for Afghanistan’s development, bilateral trade, territorial integrity and independence, people-to-people ties and capacity-building, besides several other issues.

Muttaqi’s visit to Darul Uloom Deoband

Muttaqi, who is on a week-long official visit to India(BHARAT), is accompanied by a delegation of five Taliban officials. He visited Darul Uloom Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday, 11 October. During this event, he was granted permission to use Hadith (Hadith-e-Sanad), allowing him to use Maulana and Qasmi before his name. This permission is considered highly respectable in Islamic teachings.

Event organised by Vivekananda International Foundation

Interestingly, before visiting Deoband, Amir Khan Muttaqi attended an event organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in New Delhi. The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) was founded in 2009 under the aegis of the Vivekananda Kendra, a spiritual organisation founded by Eknath Ranade, a prominent RSS leader in the 1970s, and is considered an RSS affiliate.

Packed gathering at VIF event

The packed gathering, which also included many noted female scholars, was enthralled as Muttaqi spoke on his country’s deep relationship with India(BHARAT).

“The conversation underscored the deep economic, historical, cultural, and civilizational ties between the two countries. His mention of Rabindranath Tagore’s Kabuliwala struck a poignant chord with the audience,” the VIF posted on X, along with several images from the interaction.

Highlights from today’s interaction at the VIF with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, H.E. Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The conversation underscored the deep economic, historical, cultural, and civilizational ties between the two countries.
His mention of Rabindranath Tagore’s… pic.twitter.com/c06Pyx4Xl4

— VIF India(BHARAT) (@vifindia) October 10, 2025

This was the first visit by a senior Taliban leader to Darul Uloom Deoband since the regime change in Afghanistan.

Won’t allow our territory to be used against other countries: Muttaqi

Emphasising that Kabul has always valued good relations with India(BHARAT), Muttaqi also assured that Afghanistan won’t allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Calling India(BHARAT) “the first responder”, the Afghan Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to India(BHARAT) for providing humanitarian assistance during the earthquake in Afghanistan.

(With IANS inputs)