Hyderabad, August 5: A controversy has emerged following remarks made by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya regarding madrasas. Leaders and clerics from the Muslim community have condemned his statements.
In an interview, Maulana Mustaq Malik expressed that the BJP has developed a hatred for the religious education and culture of Muslims in the country. He stated that the activities in madrasas in Bangladesh and Pakistan are irrelevant to them, as they are Indians and abide by Indian laws. He questioned how many students from madrasas have been found involved in terrorism, suggesting that the BJP and RSS avoid answering this.
He further criticized the targeting of religious education, claiming that it has no connection to their agenda. He accused them of saffronizing education and damaging the country’s educational system. According to him, they believe that sowing hatred between Hindus and Muslims will distract from their own failures.
Maulana Malik emphasized that madrasas teach ethics, culture, and honesty, asserting that they do not impart any form of terrorism. He warned that any attempt to undermine madrasas would be met with resistance from the Muslim community, stating, “We will not tolerate any attack on religious education.”
Kazi Nazm Ali from Mirzapur also condemned the Deputy Chief Minister’s remarks, urging him to study history. He pointed out that from 1847 to 1947, India was under British rule, and it was clerics like Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, who emerged from madrasas, who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom.
He added that many individuals educated in madrasas have significantly contributed to India’s independence. Notably, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was also a product of a madrasa.
It is important to note that Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had stated that madrasas, whether in Bangladesh, India, or Pakistan, are essentially unacknowledged factories for producing terrorists.
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