Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta over his remarks on Wednesday suggesting that Madrasas should be banned for promoting terror. Gupta, who has also served as Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the past, said that Madrasas should be banned in India if they promote terror. Gupta cited examples from Islamic countries like Bangladesh and Afghanistan which have banned Madrasas due to illegal activities. He also called for the arrest of former CM of J&K Mehbooba Mufti for supporting Jamaat-e-Islami. Mufti led a protest on Wednesday demanding that the ban against Jamaat-e-Islami be revoked.
“Bangladesh, Afghanistan and other nations banned Madrasas because of illegal activities. Similarly, if efforts to spread terrorism are made in Kashmir, they should be banned here too. If Mehbooba ji supports Jamaat-e-Islami, then she too should be arrested,” the former Deputy CM of Jammu and Kashmir had said.
“Madrasas are the places where militants are born,” the BJP leader was also quoted as saying in a report by news agency, PTI.
Responding to Gupta’s remarks on Twitter, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed him a “bigot” and “ill-informed”.
The National Conference leader wrote, “And RSS shakhas produce ill-informed bigots like Gupta here.”
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Gupta is no stranger to controversy and has made remarks that have not gone down well with political parties in Jammu and Kashmir. In the past, he has sought complete revocation of Article 35A and also faced criticism from parties in the state for stating that the Army did nothing wrong in Jammu and Kashmir. His remarks against Mehbooba Mufti came on a day when the PDP chief rallied for Jammat-e-Islami and castigated the Centre for its muscular approach.
Mufti has condemned the Home Ministry’s decision to declare Jamaat-e-Islami an “unlawful organisation” and is holding protests to demand the release of the outfit’s elderly members. Over 350 activists have been detained in the crackdown against the JeI across Kashmir.
The National Conference too questioned the ban and said it would not help the peace process in the state. “By banning JeI, the government will achieve nothing but giving it a dissident glamour. The move will not help; it will rather impede the process of reconciliation and rapprochement in our state.”
On the same day, Abdullah had called out the double standards while alluding to comments by Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy appealing for boycott of all things Kashmiri when news emerged that a Pakistan minister was sacked for his anti-Hindu remarks. The Pakistan minister was removed under public pressure for referring to people of the Hindu religion in bad taste.
