LUCKNOW: The issue of non-compliance of the government order regarding Independence Day celebrations and its videography as proof may snowball into a major issue in the days to come in Uttar Pradesh.
An application against Bareilly Shahar Qazi Asjad Raza Khan Qadri has been filed in the Bareilly CJM court seeking action against him for flouting the government circular issued to madarsas on Independence Day celebrations, hoisting the Tricolour, singing the national anthem, national song and getting the event videographed and photographed.
Taking cognizance of the application submitted by advocate Virendra Pal Gupta, the court of chief judicial magistrate Kusum Lata Rathor asked the police to furnish all details in this regard and posted the matter for September 4.
On the other hand, state minister for minority welfare, Chaudhary Lakshmi Narain, reiterated the government’s stand saying that details from all madarsas were sought. “Whosoever would be found guilty of non-compliance of the circular would have to face action,” he said.
He dubbed patriotism as supreme saying ‘Rashtra Dharm’ was Sarva Dharma and nothing was bigger than it.
Chaudhary, accompanied by state ministers for minority welfare Baldev Singh Aulakh and Mohsin Raza, launched the ‘Madarsa portal’ to “bring about transparency in the functioning of madrasas”.
Qadri had opposed the circular on Independence Day celebrations issued by the state government. He had issued an order asking the madrasas of the Barelvi sect neither to sing the national anthem nor get the event videographed as it was un-Islamic as per Sharia.
The issue kicked up a row post-GO and ulemas from across the state gathered at the shrine of Ala Hazrat for deliberations over the emerging situation. They appealed to the madrasas not to sing the national anthem as it was written by Rabindra Nath Tagore allegedly to please the erstwhile British rulers.
Seeking legal action against all those madrasas that did not follow the government circular, the applicant claimed that they had thrown an open challenge to the government and had insulted the national anthem.