Opposition targets CM Himanta over Madrassa Demolition in Assam

Guwahati: The Assam government's ongoing drive to demolish madrassas for their connection to alleged "'jihadi activities" has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition, which has termed the exercise as "totally illegal" and targeted at "one particular community". Three madrassas have been demolished by the BJP government within the last month in different parts of the state after arresting their teachers, who were found to be allegedly involved in "jihadi" activities.

However, on each occasion, the official reason for bringing down the structures are related to faulty construction or violation of land norms instead of any link with jihadi activities. It is only the political leaders from the ruling dispensation who usually give statements in the media that the madrassas have been demolished for allegedly carrying out jihadi activities from their premises.

The administration bulldozed madrassas at Moirabari in Morigaon district on August 4, at Dhakaliapara in Barpeta on August 29 and Jogighopa in Bongaigaon on August 31.

"The Moirabari madrassa was demolished after a notice was sent to it saying that the building was small and the electricity connection was illegal. The one at Dhakaliapara was demolished as it was on government land," All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya secretary Abdul Kadir told PTI. The two-storeyed residential madrassa at Jogighopa was razed to the ground for violating disaster norms and the authorities asked the boarders to vacate the premises at 10 pm the previous night, he claimed.

Opposition senior Congress leader Rakibul Hussain hit out at the Himanta Biswa Sarma government for the demolitions, "It is unconstitutional to destroy the madrassas. The chief minister said that the suspected jihadis entered Assam or started their activities within the last three years. If so, then only the BJP has to be blamed as they are in power since 2016." He also alleged that Sarma is making contradictory statements as he had praised the madrassas as centres of spiritualism during his days in the Congress, but is now blaming them for anti-social activities.

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The opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) said that the Assam government is "totally wrong" in bulldozing the educational centres on the pretext of curbing jihadi activities.
"If there were something wrong, then rectify those. After all these madrassas are imparting education. Demolishing the madrassas is an expression of hatred against one particular community," AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain said.