Will soon discuss Madrasa Act verdict with CM, says UP MoS

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh’s minister of state for minority affairs, Danish Azad, said on Saturday that he would soon meet chief minister Yogi Adityanath to discuss “all aspects” of the Allahabad high court order that declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, 2004, “unconstitutional”, but maintained that closure of madrasa is not imminent” after the ruling.

The madrasa education board, meanwhile, hinted at approaching the Supreme Court on the matter.

In a significant order that could potentially affect the lives of tens thousands of students in India’s most-populous state, the Lucknow bench of the high court on March 22 ruled: “We hold that the Madrasa Act 2004, is violative of the principle of secularism, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India.” It further directed the state government to accommodate students studying in madrasa in regular schools.

Amid uncertainty over modalities of the verdict, Azad said he would soon meet the CM and discuss all aspects of the ruling.

“I will highlight all the aspects of the court decision and I am sure action would likely be taken regarding the issue. The BJP government under Yogi Adityanath’s  leadership has always stood  for the welfare of madras students and teachers, “ he said.

Azad also said that the “closure of madrasas is not imminent” after the order. “After the Madrasa Act was deemed unconstitutional by the high court bench, the closure of madrasas is not imminent. The court has only termed the Madrasa Act unconstitutional, not the madrasas. Even if the Madrasa Board is dissolved, the state board is dissolved, the state board could oversee these institutions, ensuring continuity in education.

There are many more ways of protecting the education of madrasas in the state, “he added.

The order will affect the lives of roughly 200,000 students currently enrolled in 16,500 recognised and 8,500 unrecognised madrassas of Islamic seminaries across UP, according to the state madrasa board. Muslim form 19.26% of Uttar Pradesh’s 190 million population.

“My phone has not stopped ringing since morning and despite the Roza(fast) I am answering all calls from the community members to apprise them of the present status of madrasas in the state. I am trying to meet the minister for minority affairs Om Prakash Rajbhar and have sought time to discuss the implications of the high court verdict,” said chairman of the UP Madrasa Education Board, Iftikhar Ali Javed.

Seeking the chief minister’s personal intervention in the matter, Javed said the legal team of the madrasa education board was evaluating the 86-page order with plans to approach the Supreme Court upon receiving an approval from the state government.