Bismillah Khan's grandson wants to Modi's proposer

The grandson of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, Nasir Abbas Bismillah, wishes to be a proposer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nomination from Varanasi, and blames the Congress for missing the opportunity to do so in 2014.

Saying that he regrets rejecting the 2014 offer, Bismillah stressed that was due to a idological division created among people by the Congress party.

"The offer Modi ji had given us in 2014 was rejected by our family, but it was not their fault. People from Congress had divided us," the Varanasi-based musician told IANS over phone.

The grandson of the Bharat Ratna recipient said: "It was a mistake on our part. My family and I regret it. This time, we hope to be a proposer to the nomination," said Bismillah.

"Our grandfather was a Congress supporter. He received many national-level awards under the Congress government. Then he received Bharat Ratna under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He even went to Vajpayeeji's home. But he didn't refuse to take awards under a non-Congress rule."

In a letter to the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters here on Thursday, Bismillah expressed his wish to be present when Prime Minister Narendra Modi files his nomination papers from Varanasi again.

He also mentioned presenting the late maestro's shehnai to Modi. The shehnai is now kept in Trade Facilitation Center And Craft Museum of Varanasi.

--IANS

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