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Plan to close all madrasas in Assam: Himanta
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that his government has so far shut down 600 madrasas and he intends to close all such institutions in the state.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that his government has so far shut down 600 madrasas and he intends to close all such institutions in the state.
“We have shut down 600 madrasas in Assam so far. But my plan is to close all madrasas as we don’t need them and require schools, colleges and universities which produce doctors and engineers,” Sarma said.
The Assam chief minister made the remarks on Thursday night while addressing a rally in Belagavi in poll-bound Karnataka.
In January 2021, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government had passed a legislation to convert all 731 government-run madrasas in the state to regular schools. According to police records, there are around 3,000 private madrasas currently in the state.
In August last year, the government demolished three private madrasas in the state, terming them as illegal and unsafe, following arrests of persons allegedly linked with various Islamic terror outfits.
In Belagavi, Sarma continued: “We have a lot of people in India who proudly say they are Muslims or Christians. But we need such people who can proudly claim to be Hindus. Only such people can create a new India and become Vishwa Guru (world leader).”
He accused the Congress and Communists of distorting history to show that Babur, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb ruled over the entire country while sidelining the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Lachit Barphukan and others. (NEED REAX)
“The time has come to rewrite history... This new history won’t be that of the aggressors but of our victorious heroes,” he said, urging the crowd to remain united and strong.
Muslim leaders in Assam said Sarma’s remarks were a “publicity stunt” ahead of the Karnataka elections.
“He is trying to project himself as a hardliner Hindu and become a national leader with the aim of earning praise from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. This is a publicity stunt which he does ahead of every election, like he did earlier in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat,” All India United Democratic Front legislator Md. Aminul Islam said.
“Sarma is creating a divide between the Hindus and Muslims with his statements. On one hand he says Muslims are at peace in Assam and on the other, he makes such provocative remarks. We are ashamed that a well-educated person like him resorts to such cheap publicity,” he added.
Ainuddin Ahmed, advisor to All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU), said: “He seems to have lost his mental balance and is dreaming of becoming the Prime Minister. Sarma can never shut down all madrasas or obliterate Muslims from India’s history.”
