Guwahati: AIUDF chief and Lok Sabha MP badruddin Ajmal On Thursday asked the Assam government to prove that madrassas in the state were being used by “jihadis” as their bases or that it would rebuild institutions demolished by authorities.
Ajmal questioned CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Why they called the demolished madrasas “offices of al-Qaeda” when district officials said the structures were torn down under the Disaster Management Act because the buildings were unsafe for students.
“Everything has a limit. When they demolished the first madrasa, the district officials said it was demolished due to faulty wiring in the building. Then the state government said that another madrasa violated the Disaster Management Act If so why did he (Sarma) say that this is the office of al-Qaeda? What is the real reason for the demolition,” Ajmal asked.
He further said, ‘No one wants al-Qaeda in Assam. The government demolished a 36-year-old madrassa (in Bongaigaon district) and we are not going to leave this issue. If the government cannot prove that this madrasa was used by jihadis as a base, then in the next five to six months we will build a madrasa…I will rebuild the madrasa.
Ajmal alleged that the government misled the people that the madrassa in Goalpara district was demolished by the locals. Ajmal said, “The video footage shows that bulldozers were used and even after that the government said that the madrassa was demolished by the people.” On Wednesday, Sarma hailed the state’s Muslims as “patriots” after villagers from the minority community pulled down a madrasa the previous day for alleged links with al-Qaeda.
Sarma had earlier said that the government would continue with the “strongest possible action” if madrassas were used for “anti-India activities” after Ajmal appealed to bulldoze the institutions. Ajmal had said that madrasas are public property and using bulldozers to demolish them is the culture of UP, not in Assam.
Ajmal questioned CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Why they called the demolished madrasas “offices of al-Qaeda” when district officials said the structures were torn down under the Disaster Management Act because the buildings were unsafe for students.
“Everything has a limit. When they demolished the first madrasa, the district officials said it was demolished due to faulty wiring in the building. Then the state government said that another madrasa violated the Disaster Management Act If so why did he (Sarma) say that this is the office of al-Qaeda? What is the real reason for the demolition,” Ajmal asked.
He further said, ‘No one wants al-Qaeda in Assam. The government demolished a 36-year-old madrassa (in Bongaigaon district) and we are not going to leave this issue. If the government cannot prove that this madrasa was used by jihadis as a base, then in the next five to six months we will build a madrasa…I will rebuild the madrasa.
Ajmal alleged that the government misled the people that the madrassa in Goalpara district was demolished by the locals. Ajmal said, “The video footage shows that bulldozers were used and even after that the government said that the madrassa was demolished by the people.” On Wednesday, Sarma hailed the state’s Muslims as “patriots” after villagers from the minority community pulled down a madrasa the previous day for alleged links with al-Qaeda.
Sarma had earlier said that the government would continue with the “strongest possible action” if madrassas were used for “anti-India activities” after Ajmal appealed to bulldoze the institutions. Ajmal had said that madrasas are public property and using bulldozers to demolish them is the culture of UP, not in Assam.