Demolition, sealing of Madrasas injustice to minorities: All India Muslim Jamaat chief

Bareilly (The Uttam Hindu) :  Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat (AIMJ) on Monday strongly condemned the recent demolition and sealing of madrasas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand under the newly-implemented Waqf (Amendment) Act. He termed the actions as a violation of justice and an attack on the rights of minority communities.

Reacting to the developments, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi said, “In Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, a 30-year-old madrasa was razed to the ground by bulldozers. Similarly, the Uttarakhand government has sealed and closed down several madrasas in Haldwani.” He criticised the governments of both the BJP-ruled states, urging them to respect the constitutional rights of religious and educational institutions.

“The Constitution provides freedom to all citizens to run and manage educational institutions. When the Constitution allows it, the government has no authority to bulldoze or seal madrasas. This is outright injustice and harms the interests of minorities. Such actions break the trust of communities and exert undue pressure on them,” he added. Meanwhile, the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 officially came into force on April 8, after receiving President Murmu's assent on April 5. The law, passed in Parliament following heated debate, has been defended by the BJP-led NDA alliance at the Centre as a move to increase transparency and empower marginalised sections of the Muslim community, particularly women. However, the Act has drawn sharp criticism from several Muslim organisations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and Opposition parties.

Many have challenged it in the Supreme Court, calling it discriminatory and unconstitutional. Meanwhile, tensions have escalated in other parts of the country. In West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, violent protests erupted a day earlier in opposition to the Waqf Act, leading to the deaths of three individuals and the arrest of over 200 people. In response, the Calcutta High Court has ordered the immediate deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to restore peace in the area. The demolition of madrasas and the unrest in Murshidabad underscore the deepening divide over the Waqf Act.