In a rare diplomatic move, a delegation from India's ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani, embarked on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. According to Middle East Eye, the delegation's focus on strengthening bilateral relations took a historic turn as they were granted access to the Muslim holy city of Madina, including the Prophet's [PBUH] Mosque. Sharing a collage of images from the visit, Irani took to her X handle to state, "Undertook a historic journey to Madina today, one of Islam's holiest cities. Included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophet's Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and the periphery of the Quba Mosque – the first Mosque of Islam. 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."
Madina, housing the resting place of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], is usually off-limits to non-Muslim dignitaries beyond the perimeter of the Prophet's [PBUH] Mosque, also known as Masjid-e-Nabwi. However, this visit by a non-Muslim delegation marks an unprecedented instance of diplomatic access to a site considered sacred by Muslims and not typically viewed as a tourist destination.