Author: Arindam Sarkar
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: February 7, 2002
Muslim community leaders here have
demanded a "public apology" from Buddhadev Bhattacharjee for the anti-madrassa
statements attributed to him.
"It simply isn't fair on the part
of the media and the Chief Minister to make sweeping statements against
the Muslim community. Besides, his flip-flop is so confusing. Once he says
madrassas in Bengal are safe havens for ISI agents. Then he attacks the
media for distorting his statements. What is he up to? A closed-door meeting
won't assuage our feelings. He has hurt the entire qaum with his statements.
He must apologise in public," said Khateb Imam Muftib of Jama Masjid Nakhoda
Sheikh Mohammed Sabir. "He can't do a thing against the madarassas. There's
no way anyone can stop us from teaching the Holy Quran."
"He says he wants madrassas to be
modernized. What difference is there between him and the saffron leaders?
From what he says it appears that he even wants to tamper with the syllabus.
This we'll never allow," said Mohtamim Darul Quran Madrasa Azmatia Qari
Fazlur Rahman. "The Quran and The Hadis can never give way to moderrn science
and computers." Eminent Urdu columnist Syed Ali pointed out that Bhattacharjee
perhaps never anticipated that the Muslims would raise their voice if he
talked about the ISI and madrassas in the same vein, for nothing can be
proven.
Meanwhile, Buddhadev intends to
begin a salvage operation tomorrow. He will explain himself to Musilm intellectuals
and tell them how he had been misquoted by the Press. On February 11, he
will address madrassa teachers at the Rabindra Sadan.
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Congress raps BJP on UP madrassas
The Congress has deplored the BJP's
"tendentious" campaign against madrassas in UP and alleged that it was
yet another ploy to inject communal prejudices into the poll campaign.
"We regret to note that BJP leaders have launched a tendentious campaign
against madrassas as such," Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said.
HTC, New Delhi