Taking a tough stand against illegal madarsas, Pushkar Singh Dhami government has sealed and erased more than 55 minority institutions in the last fortnight.
The chief minister asserted that attempts to shift the demographic status of the hill state won’t be allowed by his government.
Following an instruction from Dhami to go after illegal madarsas in the state, Uttarakhand officials and district administration closed and sealed more than four dozen. Several illegal madrasa buildings were erased in Dehradun for illegal constructions. According to the Urban Development Department, officials erased buildings constructed without permission from the authorities concerned.
According to officials, 12 illegal madrasas were sealed in Vikasnagar block of Dehradun and nine in chief minister’s hometown Khatima of Udham Singh Nagar district in the last one week.
Prior to this, district administrations forced closure of 31 illegally run madrasas in their respective areas including several hill towns. According to the chief minister, he was getting repeated complaints against illegal madarsas run in different parts of the state for a long time. “Complaints were being received about the expanding network of illegal madrasas Dehradun and many other areas of Uttarakhand. There were attempts to create population imbalance in the guise of setting up religious institutions. Action was taken against verified illegal structures,” he said, reiterating his earlier statement that his government won’t allow demographic change to happen in the state.
State Wakf Board Chairman Shadab Shams said, “Action being taken against illegal madrasas is aimed at preventing the future of minority community children, especially the school-going ones. If illegal institutions are being sealed by the authorities, it’s being done to rectify the snag. Legal notices must have been served to these illegal institutions to bring parity with the rule of law in the state. There is a due process of law in dealing with these structures and authorities are abiding by it.”
Officials in the state secretariat informed that the chief minister has given a clear message that efforts to disturb the original demography of the state won’t be tolerated at any cost. Strict action will be taken against those breaking the law and are involved in illegal activities.
“The message by the chief minister is loud and clear that action to check spouting of illegal madarsas, illegal activities, and other such buildings to establish rule of law in Uttarakhand will continue in future as well,” said a senior official in the chief minister’s office on the condition of anonymity.”
According to this officer, big action can be seen against illegal madrasas in the coming days.