LUCKNOW The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday sprang to the defence of the Yogi 2.0 government, four days after the controversial 46-day madrasa survey exercise began on Saturday with government surveyors visiting unaided, private institutes where Muslim students receive religious education.
While inaugurating the three-day training camp of the party’s minority wing, UP’s new BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said the government survey is for bettering prospects of students and teachers.
“The idea is to ensure that madrasas begin imparting modern education,” said the BJP chief who hails from western UP, where prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has convened a meeting of madrasas to discuss various aspects related to the survey exercise, which some among Muslims, believe is being carried out with an ulterior motive.
The 12-point survey has questions related to the funding of unaided madrasas, a point that has made many madrasas owners feel uneasy.
However, during the inauguration of the training camp, the BJP chief said the party is working on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayaas (welfare, support, development and contribution of all) – a line that was read as the BJP leadership’s message to the cadre to approach the community to “allay their apprehensions”.
State’s Haj committee chairman and former minority welfare minister Mohsin Raza, Madrasa Board chairman Iftekhar Husain, minority commission chairman Ashfaq Saifi, national vice-president of minority wing Zakir Hussain were also present on the occasion.
{{/usCountry}}State’s Haj committee chairman and former minority welfare minister Mohsin Raza, Madrasa Board chairman Iftekhar Husain, minority commission chairman Ashfaq Saifi, national vice-president of minority wing Zakir Hussain were also present on the occasion.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP chief said, “We believe in appeasement of none, welfare of all. There was a time when uninterrupted power supply was limited to a few VVIP districts. Now, things have changed and all are enjoying markedly better power supply. This is what happens when government works for the welfare of all.”
UP BJP slams Akhilesh for protest
State BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for holding an “illegal protest.” He alleged that the SP was a party that believed in creating lawlessness and its leadership was not able to hold the family together while political allies too were deserting it.
The UP Police on Wednesday scuttled the SP’s planned protest over inflation, unemployment and law and order at the Assembly complex, preventing protesters from gathering at the venue and detaining several leaders.
“Akhilesh ji, where are your allies now?,” he asked and alleged that the SP leadership was now attempting to divert public attention from its failures.
“Peep into SP’s past and you would find whether they remained in the government or in the opposition. The Samajwadi Party has mostly engaged in lawlessness and corruption,” stated Chaudhary.
The state BJP chief said though all have a right to be heard in a democracy, but the same should be done in a democratic fashion.
“The UP assembly and legislative council are proper forums to raise questions. The Yogi government has done lot of work in the field of education, improving water and power supply and security. But, the opposition doesn’t want to focus on these things as they believe in lawlessness,” he said.