DEHRADUN: The State government of Uttar Pradesh has issued a directive to all educatuional institutions under it to display the picture of PM Modi on its premises.
The Madrasas of Uttarakhand have refused to do so on “religious grounds”
The directive was issued shortly after Independence, asking educational institutions to “take a pledge to ensure building a new India by 2022 in accordance with the vision of PM Modi and put up a picture of the Prime Minister in your premises.”
According to the news reported in Times of India, The office bearers of the state madrasas decided not to comply with the directive citing religious grounds.
“Members of various madrassas told us that the directive was an attempt to infringe the norms of Islam. They informed us that since Islam outrightly disapproves putting up any picture inside the madrassa, so there is no question of putting up a photo of the PM,” said Haji Aklakh Ahmad, the deputy registrar of Uttarakhand Madrassa Education Board.
Terming this “an order which may give a political colour to madrassas”, Ehsaan Saheb, a Roorkee-based veteran madrassa teacher, said, “The state government’s insistence to put up a picture of the PM is not possible for us since it is against our religion to do so. Also, the move might give political colours to madrassas. Our task is to instill morality and unity among children and not indulge in politics,” said Ehsaan Saheb, a Roorkee-based veteran madrassa teacher.
He further added that, this is “an order which may give a political colour to madrassas.”
However, JS Rawat, Derhradun district minority welfare officer said that “the order was issued to all government institutions but we cannot force anyone to comply with it if it is against their religion.”