Kolkata: The West Bengal government has ordered the closure of 252 madrasas and sent show-cause notices to about 100 others after a statewide survey found that several institutions lacked required approvals and basic infrastructure, officials said on Sunday, September 13.

Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department Minister Kshudiram Tudu said madrasas that have requisite approvals will continue to function.

The department conducted a field-level survey across all districts of West Bengal from early June to assess the infrastructure, approval status, and management systems of government and private madrasas.

Officials said the seminaries have been served a show-cause notice. Further action will be taken after examining their responses, they said.

CM directed ascertaining number of authorised, unauthorised madrasas : The exercise was initiated following directions from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to ascertain the number of authorised and unauthorised madrasas in different districts, Tudu said.

“As many as 252 madrasas have been ordered to close while 100 others have been sent show-cause notices for lacking requisite approvals and basic infrastructure,” the minister added.

State Panchayati Raj Minister Dilip Ghosh said there had been several controversies surrounding madrasas and claimed that in several cases, people arrested for their alleged involvement in extremist activities were found to have been working as teachers in some such institutions.

“Complaints against madrasas had repeatedly been received. There have been instances of people carrying out anti-national activities from seminaries,” he said. “Madrasas being run in accordance with the law and with government permission will continue to function. But the government will not allow madrasas to be opened indiscriminately and cause trouble.”

Muslim Federation of India (MFI) Advocate (High Court ) MA Mujeeb alleged that BJP is surviving on the plank of Hindu -Muslim divide and this will not run for the longer time. 

Mujeeb further said " Madrasas are legally registered and run schools and they are run legally to promote their linguistic minority culture and they cannot be treated as promoting anti national activities.   

The Opposition Trinamool Congress’s MLA Kunal Ghosh said all madrasas should not be painted with the same brush.