West Bengal to shut 252 madrasas; Maulana Sajid Rashidi opposes move

The West Bengal government has ordered the closure of 252 madrasas across the state following a comprehensive survey, with 100 additional madrasas receiving show-cause notices. Tribal and Minority Development Minister Khudiram Tudu stated that district administrations found serious irregularities in management, student-teacher ratios, infrastructure, and funding sources during the verification process.

Maulana Sajid Rashidi, a Muslim religious leader, criticized the decision, arguing that closing government-funded madrasas sends a divisive message to Muslims. He distinguished between state-funded madrasas and those run on community donations (zakat), urging the government to avoid creating communal divisions.

State Minister Dilip Ghosh indicated that the closure was due to various controversies surrounding madrasas, though his statement was truncated in the source.