UP Madarsas That Defied Order on I-Day May Face Action Under NSA

Many madarsas also defied the UP government’s orders by not recording the celebrations as directed.

Students wave the Indian Tricolour. Image used for representation purpose.  

(Photo: PTI)

Madarsas in Bareilly area which defied the UP government order on unfurling the national flag and singing the national anthem on Independence day may face action, including under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), a senior official said.

"If we get a complaint that any madarsa did not comply with the government order on the unfurling the national flag and the recital of national anthem, we will get it probed and after giving a chance to all, action will be taken against the guilty as per the law," Bareilly Divisional Commissioner, PV Jaganmohan said.

He added that action could be initiated as per the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), besides other laws, for showing disregard to the national flag and national anthem, including the NSA.

The Uttar Pradesh government’s diktat imposed on Islamic schools to sing the national anthem and capture a video of the event on Independence day was defied by many madarasas, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Students of madarasas in Kanpur, Meerut and Bareilly districts instead sang Sare Jahan Se Achha and did not videograph the celebrations.

Sunni Ulema Council convener Haji Mohd Saleeh told HT that the “government’s order is an attempt to test our patriotism, which is wrong.”

The circular, sent a week before the I-Day by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government, directed the schools to host the Tricolour and sing the anthem at 8 am. They were asked to record the proceedings saying “visual proof would help the board encourage participants to better their performance in the future”.

Bareilly’s Manzar-e-Islam had 500 students sing Sare Jahan Se Achha in a prayer hall, but no media was allowed to cover the event.

The report further said that senior cleric Assad Miyan, a descendant of 20th century Islamic religious leader Ahmed Raza Barelvi, was behind the decision to oppose the order.

Some clerics backed the call in a press release saying: “Singing the national anthem belittles the struggle of our freedom fighters. Thereby, it has been unanimously decided that such songs will not be sung on Independence Day”.