India demolishes decades-old madrasa over alleged Pakistan links

Hindu nationalist BJP demolishes Islamic seminary in latest move targeting Muslim institutions across India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A 30-year-old madrasa was demolished in India’s Gujarat state on May 13, with authorities accusing its cleric of having foreign ties — the latest in a widening pattern of demolitions targeting Muslim institutions under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.

The Islamic seminary, located in Himkhimdi village of Amreli district, was razed by district officials who claimed it had been built “illegally” on land meant for low-income beneficiaries.

The demolition was carried out in defiance of Supreme Court guidelines that restrict arbitrary actions without due process.

Maulana Mohammad Fazal Abdul Aziz Sheikh was detained after police discovered he was part of WhatsApp groups that included Pakistani and Afghan members.

Without presenting evidence of wrongdoing, authorities suspect him of having extremist links, simply because many of the messages were in Arabic — a familiar tactic increasingly used by Indian police to criminalize Muslims under vague accusations of extremism. 

He was handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad on May 3 for further investigation.

Journalist Sahal Qureshi from Gujarat, highlighted the selective nature of the state’s enforcement.

“Over 300 Hindu families reportedly live nearby without any legal documentation, yet only the madrasa was targeted,” he noted.

The Gujarat demolition comes amid a broader crackdown. Just days earlier, authorities in Uttar Pradesh — also ruled by the BJP — bulldozed over 350 madrasas, mosques, shrines, and Islamic institutions near the India-Nepal border, citing “illegal encroachments.”