MP govt orders action against Madrasas imparting religious education to non-Muslim children without consent

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 17 (ANI): The Madhya Pradesh government has issued an order to take strict action against Madrasas imparting religious education to non-Muslim children without the consent of the students or their guardians citing Article 28 (3) of the Indian Constitution.

The order issued on Friday read, “If children studying in Madrasas affiliated by the state government or aided by the state funds imparted religious education contrary to their religion without their consent (if they are minors, their guardians) or forced to receive any kind of religious education or attend worship proceedings, then all government grants to such Madrasas should be stopped and action should be taken to cancel their affiliated and other appropriate legal action should be taken against them.”

Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh said that upon receiving continuous complaints for the last few months, the state government issued the order to investigate the Madrasas running in the state adding that if any irregularity is found, strict action will be taken.

“We were receiving continuous complaints from February and March that Hindu Children were studying in Madrasas. Also, there are some Madrasas that are limited only to papers and taking grants from the government. We investigated and closed 56 Madrasas in the state. During the investigation, we also came to know that thousands of Hindu children study in Madrasa,” Singh told ANI.

“Citing Article 28 (3) of the Constitution of India, our department has issued clear instructions to investigate the Madrasas. Be it Hindu or Muslim, one can’t force a student to impart religious study of any other religion without their consent or will. If it is being done then it is a violation of rules,” he said.

Under the leadership of CM Mohan Yadav, the education department will not tolerate any irregularities in education. Whether it is aided schools, private institutions or Madrasas, everyone has to follow the New Education Policy (NEP 2020). Every institution has to follow the right to education. In the same series, Madrasas are being investigated and strict action will be taken if irregularities are found, the minister added.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez took a potshot at the Madhya Pradesh government, saying that the state government was only engaged in disturbing the communal harmony and never thought about raising the level of education in the state.

“Today, citizens of Madhya Pradesh are forced to think that the state government is engaged only in disturbing the communal harmony. Everyone can understand the continuous effort of the government to create a communal dispute in the state by hiding their failures. Which children study in Madrasas without the permission of their parents? The syllabus in Madrasas is decided according to the government,” Hafeez said.

“If you (state government) are unable to provide education to the children and if there is a Madrasa Board school in their region then the children are forced to go there. All the studies in Madrasas are being conducted according to the Madhya Pradesh government,” he added.

“Earlier, an order was issued by the Madhya Pradesh government that Guru Purnima will be organised in schools and colleges. Did you get permission from the parents of non-Hindu children for that? You did not. This is the tradition of India that children of all religions can study at every place,” the Congress leader said.

“If there is any Madrasa run by the Madhya Pradesh Board then it is not illegal. They are only engaged in spoiling the communal harmony and their aim has never been to raise the level of education,” he concluded.