All terrorists are raised in madrasas, says Madhya Pradesh Minister Usha Thakur, sparks row

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh government Minister Usha Thakur has said that all terrorists are raise in madrasas and called for the discontinuation of government funds to the madrasas.

All terrorists are raised in madrasas, they had turned J&K into a terror factory. Madrasas which can't comply with nationalism, they should be merged with the existing education system to ensure complete progress of the society: 

Speaking in Indore, the minister said that all radicals and terrorists have studied in these madrasas.

“They had turned J&K into a terror factory. Madrasas which can't comply with nationalism, should be merged with the existing education system to ensure complete progress of the society,” Usha Thakur was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

All terrorists are raised in madrasas, they had turned J&K into a terror factory. Madrasas which can't comply with nationalism, they should be merged with existing education system to ensure complete progress of the society: Madhya Pradesh Minister Usha Thakur in Indore. (20.10) pic.twitter.com/1jQEgFBu2r

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2020

She told the gathering, “If you are a citizen of this country, you could see that all radicals and terrorists have studied in Madrasas.” 

Thakur added that such madrasas that fail to link children to nationalism should be brought into mainstream education for the “collective progress of the society”. 

The BJP legislator cited Assam’s recent announcement to shut down madrasas to support her statement. 

On October 9, Assam Education and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the government will shut down all state-run madrasas and Sanskrit tols (schools) as it cannot allow teaching religious education with public money. The minister had said the government will issue a formal notification in this regard in November.

When asked specifically if she was calling for the closure of madrasas or discontinuation of government funds, Thakur clarified that she was advocating for the latter. The BJP legislator had courted controversy earlier as well. On September 19, she had referred to Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti, a tribal outfit, as “anti-national”, according to PTI. 

In May 2019, Thakur had reportedly called Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a “nationalist”.