Minister for minorities welfare, Dharmpal Singh, has said that madrasas which are linked to any sort of anti-national activities will be shut down. Singh was speaking at a function in Bareilly on Thursday.
Earlier in July, this year, he had formed four teams of senior officials to probe madrasas in the districts in or near the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh to find out the source of their funds.
At that time he said that the exercise was part of a crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh government on registered and unregistered madrasas receiving foreign funds in the border areas.
Singh said, “After the madrasa survey last year, authorities found most madrasas in the border areas, of late, had been receiving big funds, but were unable to give an accurate account of the money. They only say that they have received the money through Zakaat (donation) but the Muslim population in these bordering districts is not so rich, as to be able to donate such huge amounts to madrasas. So, we decided to probe the source of funding to these madrasas.”
Speaking to reporters in Bareilly, Singh said, “The reports on the survey of madrasas in the state have come. Those linked to anti-national activities will be shut down. Also, the madrasas which were functioning illegally will not be recognised. Those involved in anti-social activities will not be allowed to function”.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to reporters in Bareilly, Singh said, “The reports on the survey of madrasas in the state have come. Those linked to anti-national activities will be shut down. Also, the madrasas which were functioning illegally will not be recognised. Those involved in anti-social activities will not be allowed to function”.
{{/usCountry}}Last year, the Uttar Pradesh government started the process of conducting a survey of Islamic education institutions.
The survey was conducted to ensure basic facilities for the students of madrasas.
The minister said that the government wants children of the minority community to get modern education in madrasas.
“It has been observed that children from financially weaker sections of minority communities are sometimes lured into questionable activities. Madrasas have played an important role in educating youths of the country but there have been some which have been allegedly linked with anti-national activities, action would only start on them,” he said.