Muslim cleric arrested for criticizing BJP government’s madrasa policies
Mufti Mujeeb was jailed after warning against madrasa closures as Uttarakhand’s Hindu nationalist government intensifies action against Islamic schools
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Police in India’s Hindu nationalist BJP-ruled Uttarakhand state have arrested a Muslim cleric after a video circulated showing him warning against the closure of madrasas, amid an ongoing government crackdown on Islamic schools in the state.
Mufti Mujeeb, a resident of neighboring Uttar Pradesh state, was arrested on Aug. 29 over remarks he reportedly made during an Eid Milad-un-Nabi gathering in Rudrapur three days earlier, according to Indian newspaper Amar Ujala. He was subsequently sent to jail.
In the circulating video, Mujeeb can be heard objecting to government action against madrasas and warning authorities not to decide their fate.
“Do not make decisions about madrasas. Remember, if madrasas are closed, then you will see what we will do,” he reportedly said.
Police registered a case after the video spread on social media and launched an investigation into the remarks and the circumstances surrounding the gathering near Trishul Chowk in Rudrapur, part of Udham Singh Nagar district.
Authorities have sent the video for forensic examination to establish its authenticity and are also investigating whether organizers had obtained permission to erect a stage for the Eid Milad procession. Police have questioned members of the organizing committee and are seeking information about others who addressed the gathering.
Mujeeb has disputed the authorities’ interpretation of his remarks. He said he had spoken about madrasas and land but had not targeted the government and alleged that his comments were being presented incorrectly.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a senior leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, publicly condemned the cleric after the video surfaced.
“This is not merely the statement of one maulana; it reflects a mindset and an ideology that does not respect the Constitution and seeks to intimidate society,” Dhami said, adding that authorities would not allow anyone to issue threats or take the law into their own hands.
Rudrapur Mayor Vikas Sharma also welcomed the arrest, saying the government would act against statements that could disturb the local atmosphere.
The arrest comes against the backdrop of a broader BJP government campaign targeting madrasas in Uttarakhand.
Dhami’s government has shut down scores of Islamic schools it describes as illegally operating or unauthorized, while also moving to overhaul the state’s system governing madrasa education.
The measures have generated controversy among Muslim groups and opposition figures, who have accused the BJP government of disproportionately targeting Muslim religious and educational institutions under the guise of enforcing regulations.
Police said their investigation into Mujeeb’s remarks and the organization of the procession remains underway.
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