A madrasa in Assam’s Bongaigaon district was demolished by the authorities on Wednesday over the alleged misuse of the premises for carrying out ‘jihadi’ activities, police said.
This was the third madrasa that the state government has demolished in the wake of arrest of 37 people since March over their alleged terror links. Excavators and bulldozers were deployed to demolish the two-storey building of the Markazul Ma Arif Quariayana Madrasa in Jogighopa area of the district on Wednesday, a police officer said.
#WATCH | Assam: Markazul Ma-Arif Quariayana Madrasa, located at Kabaitary Part-IV village in Bongaigaon district, being demolished
This is the 3rd Madrasa demolished by the Assam government following arrests of 37 persons including Imam and Madrasa teachers linked with AQIS/ABT pic.twitter.com/zTQiiicAne
— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2022
Earlier, a madrasa — Jamiul Huda Academy — at Howli was demolished on Monday, and another one by the same name at Moirabari in Morigaon district on August 4.
Speaking to The Indian Express, SP Swapnaneel Deka said the Madrasa building was demolished as per an order from the district disaster management authority and the Deputy Commissioner. “We received an order that the structure was hazardous for inhabitants. Goalpara police had arrested Jeharul Islam, 35, an assistant teacher of the madrasa over his links with Al-Qaeda and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Police had seized some ABT leaflets printed in Bengali language from the building,” the SP said.
Another teacher of the Madrasa, Hafizur Rahman Mufti, was arrested last week over his alleged links with the Al-Qaeda and the ABT.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Abdul Khalque from Barpeta condemned the action. “I strongly condemn demolition of Kabaitari Qariana Madrassa of Bongaigaon district,” he tweeted.
Bongaigaon Additional Deputy Commissioner Lachit Kumar Das had told the media that the madrasa building was on government land and being used for “anti-national activities”.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier seconded such actions, adding that his government will be screening all Islamic preachers coming to the state. He had also appealed to the locals to inform the police if they see any unfamiliar imam so that his antecedents can be verified.
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Last month, Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta had said that a master directory of all madrasas being run in Assam will be compiled.
