Deoband (UP): Darul Uloom Deoband's Vice
Chancellor Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi was on Sunday sacked for
praising Narendra Modi five months after the reformist took
over the reins of the prominent Islamic seminary.
His remarks on the Gujarat Chief Minister's
development policies and that Muslims should forget the
communal riots of 2002 and move on had raised the hackles of
the conservatives. His powers were spliced and a three-member
inquiry was appointed in February which gave its report today.
"Maulana Vastanvi has been removed from the post of
Vice Chancellor by Majlis-e-Shoora (governing council) of the
seminary," said Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, who was appointed
as Acting Vice Chancellor during an emergent meeting of the
Shoora on February 23.
Nomani, who is in his 60s, will be the new chief of
the 145-year-old Islamic seminary, the country's largest.
A vote on the ouster of 60-year-old Vastanvi, who is
an MBA with a Facebook page in his name, was held in a stormy
meeting of the council. While opposing the report, Vastanvi
demanded setting up of a new panel, but his plea was turned
down by the Shoora.
Crying foul, Vastanvi said he was a victim of
conspiracy. "This is injustice and a conspiracy against me."
He alleged that the report was incomplete and he was removed
from the post for opposing it.
The sacked vice-chancellor, who was born in Vastan
village of south Gujarat and educated in a madrassa near
Surat, said he will neither move court nor protest against the
decision. Vastanvi said he will continue as a member of the
Shoora. However, his supporters said they would press him to
challenge the decision in the highest court.
Nomani said that there were differences among the 14
Shoora members present at the meeting out of the 18. One of
the members walked out before the voting while Vastanvi did
not cast his ballot. He received four votes in favour and
eight against.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 08:41