June 12, 2019
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan has stoked a controversy by saying that “madrasas do not breed a nature like that of Nathuram Godse or a personality like Pragya Singh Thakur”.
Nathuram Godse had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi while Pragya Singh Thakur, current BJP MP from Bhopal, is an accused in Malegaon blast case.
On being asked to respond on Centre’s decision to connect madrasas to mainstream education, Azam Khan said, “Madrasas don’t breed a nature like that of Nathuram Godse or a personality like Pragya Thakur. See that first, announce that those propagating thoughts of Nathuram Godsewill be declared enemies of democracy, those convicted for terror activities won’t be rewarded.”
Azam Khan, who is known for giving such controversial statements, said if the central government wants to help madrasas then they should improve their standard.
“Religious teachings are imparted at madrasas. At the very same madrasas, English, Hindi and Maths are taught. This has always been done. If you want to help, improve their standard. Build buildings for madrasas, provide them furniture and midday meal facility,” Azam Khan said on Tuesday.
While the Samajwadi leader appeared critical of the Centre’s decision of connecting madrasas with mainstream education for the betterment of children studying in the Islamic seminaries, Muslim clerics have welcomed it.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who announced the scheme on Tuesday, said, “Madrasas are in large number across the country. They will be connected with the formal education and mainstream education so that those children studying there can also contribute to the development of the society.”
“Madrasa teachers across the country will be given training from various institutions in mainstream subjects such as Hindi, English, math, science, computer, etc so that they can impart mainstream education to the madrasa students. This programme will be launched next month,” Naqvi wrote on Twitter.
The modernisation of madrasas is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan that he laid out in run-up to Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
“Hold Quran in one hand and computer in other,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said.
” There are many reports where the teachers at Madrasas have been abusing students sexually and also teaching anti-Hindus scripts.”– Editor, Vedic Upasana Peeth
Source : India Today
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