Stats show madrassa education worsened most under SP rule: Danish Ansari
Stats show madrassa education worsened most under SP rule: Danish Ansari New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) After Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav declared his plans to develop madrassa education in Uttar Pradesh, Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari said it would be a good step if implemented, but questioned why it was not done during 2012–2017 when SP was in power. He added that statistics showed madrassa education deteriorated most during SP rule. Akhilesh Yadav on Monday announced promises ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, including implementing the Old Pension Scheme, improving the status of Shiksha Mitras, and clearing pending salaries for madrassa teachers. He said Shiksha Mitras would be granted facilities equal to regular teachers, issues concerning Sanskrit schools would be resolved, and teachers’ salaries in modern madrasas would be cleared. Reacting, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said Akhilesh Yadav’s government would not return to power and accused him of misleading Muslim children by focusing only on madrasas. He said BJP was committed to educating all children in good schools, enabling them to become doctors, engineers and professors, while alleging Akhilesh wanted Muslim children to become only Imams and Maulvis. Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said if madrassas and other institutions were developed with democracy and the Constitution as the basis, it would be welcome. He alleged BJP named madrassas first to create communal conflict. Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari asked why SP did not work for madrassa development during its tenure. “A government is run through documents, not words. Neither were your policies good, nor did you have any intention to develop Muslims of the state,” he said, adding that statistics showed madrassa education was worst during 2012–2017. Congress MP Imran Masood said Akhilesh Yadav should first form a government before making promises, adding that all institutions, including madrassas, must be developed to ensure less privileged children receive good education. Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP government of targeting madrassas and Sanskrit teachers and reiterated that the Old Pension Scheme would be restored if SP formed the government in 2027.
