749 non-Muslim children studying in madrasas, says Uttarakhand madrasa board report; Congress attacks BJP govt

Dehradun: A Uttarakhand's madrasa board report has said 749 non-Muslim children are studying at 30 madrasas in Haridwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts, prompting the Congress to attack the state government over the quality of education. The Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board, in its report, also said these non-Muslim students were admitted with the consent of their parents and that they are being taught NCERT books.

A total of 7,399 students study in the madrasas across the state, the report said.

Hitting out at the BJP government over the issue, Uttarakhand Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni said it puts a big question mark on the education system in the state.

'It is nearly 10 per cent of the total number of students in madrasas. It mirrors the sorry state of education in the state where the BJP has been in power for seven years. After all what has forced non-Muslim parents to send their children to madrasas instead of government schools?' Dasauni said.

If non-Muslim families are forced to send their children to madrasas in the state, it is time for the BJP government to introspect, she said.

'It shows the hollowness of tall claims made by the BJP government about quality education and Hindutva. Is it its new Hindutva model?' she said.

On the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights summoning the principal secretary of minority welfare L Fenai on November 9 over the report, Dasuani said state education minister Dhan Singh Rawat should also have been summoned by the commission.