GUWAHATI: Assam's BJP-led coalition government on Monday directed all government-run madrasas and (Islamic) schools in the State to function every Friday and observe Sunday as a holiday.
“The madrasas in the State will have to function normally on Fridays. Like any other educational institute, they will remain closed on Sundays,” Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media on Monday.
He said there were no laws that made (permitted) the madrasas to remain closed on Fridays. “Madrasas remain closed on Fridays in Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have to follow the laws of the land.
According to Indian laws, Sunday is a holiday for educational institutes. Therefore, if a (government-run) madrasa in the State is found closed on Friday, the government will place its principal under suspension,” warned Sarma.
However, his diktat drew criticism from former Assam minister Siddique Ahmed of the Congress who termed it as “communal”. “He is behaving like a leader of RSS-VHP. Through such a move he is trying to disturb communal harmony,” alleged Ahmed, and appealed to the people to reject the minister. Assam has more than 1,000 madrasas, of which some 100 are government aided.