Madrassas don't breed personalities like Nathuram Godse, Pragya Singh Thakur, says SP leader Azam Khan

Rampur: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan has stoked a controversy by saying that "madrassas do not breed a nature like that of Nathuram Godse or a personality like Pragya Singh Thakur."

File image of Azam Khan. Getty Images

Nathuram Godse had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi while Pragya Singh Thakur, current BJP MP from Bhopal, is an accused in Malegaon blast.

On being asked to respond on Centre's decision to connect madrasas to mainstream education, Khan said, "Madrassas don't breed a nature like that of Nathuram Godse or a personality like Pragya Thakur. See that first, announce that those propagating thoughts of Nathuram Godse will be declared enemies of democracy, those convicted for terror activities won't be rewarded."

Khan, who is known for giving such controversial statements, said that if the central government wants to help madrassas then they should improve their standard.

"Religious teachings are imparted at madrassas. At the very same madrasas, English, Hindi and Maths are taught. This has always been done. If you want to help, improve their standard. Build buildings for madrassas, provide them furniture and midday meal facility," Khan, SP MP from Rampur said on Tuesday.

While the SP leader turned out to be critical over Centre's decision that Madrassas across India will be connected with mainstream education for the betterment of children studying in the Islamic seminaries, on the other hand, Muslim clerics have hailed it.

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday announced, "Madrassas are in large number across the country. They will be connected with formal education and mainstream education so that those children studying there can also contribute to the development of society."

Modernisation of Madrasaas is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan that he laid out in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

"Hold Quran in one hand and computer in other," Modi had said.
"To ensure socio-economic-educational empowerment of minorities especially girls through '3Es- Education, Employment and Empowerment,' various scholarships including pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means, etc will be provided to five crore students in next five years," Naqvi informed.

Free-coaching for central and state administrative services, banking services, staff selection commission, railways and other various competitive services will be also provided to economically weak Minority- Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi youths, Naqvi added.