Clerics, many parties welcome SC decision on UP Madrasa Act

Clerics, stakeholders and many political parties have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004.

The SC on Tuesday set aside the Allahabad high court’s March judgment that declared the 2004 Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, unconstitutional while claiming that it violated principles of secularism.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Shia Personal Law Board said now the responsibility lies with the Madarsa Board to give recognition to the madrasas whose application have been pending with the Board for quite some time.

As per the information, there are around 16,000 madrasas in the state which are affiliated with UP Madarsa Board. Out of it, only 560 madrasas are government aided.

Around 42,000 teachers are employed and around 17 lakh students are enrolled in the madrasas which are affiliated with the UP Madarsa Board.

Diwan Saheb Zaman Khan, general secretary, Teachers Association Madaris-e-Arabia, UP, who was one of the parties in the case, said, “We hoped that the Supreme Court will do justice with us. On the issue of awarding higher degrees, I would like to request to the government to make some arrangements soon as per the SC order.”

Former chairman of UP Madarsa Board Iftikhar Ahmed Javed said: “The SC decision will give a big boost to the madrasas which are working in far-flung areas in imparting quality education to children.”

All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, “We welcome the decision of the honourable Supreme Court. The big question was that since this Act was itself made by the government, how can it be termed as unconstitutional?”

“We are running our madrasas as per the Article 30 of the Indian Constitution. We have full constitutional right to do so. As far as educational standards of madrasas are concerned, we are continuously trying to improve them. Along with Islamic education, we are also teaching English, Hindi and computers to our student,” he added.

“The SC judgment is very good and a big news specially for thousands of teachers and staff who are associated with these madrasas,” Mahali added.

General secretary, All India Shia Personal Board, Maulana Yasoob Abbas said, “I welcome the SC decision. The madrasas played a great role in India’s freedom struggle and have produced many bureaucrats and ministers etc.”

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief said, “We believe that all the unconstitutional decisions taken by the BJP government should be changed. The high court and the Supreme Court have reprimanded the BJP government several times for its unconstitutional decisions.”

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati wrote on X, “The decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court is welcome. With this, the controversy surrounding madrasa education in Uttar Pradesh and the uncertainty over the future of thousands of madrasas will end. It is important to implement it (court order) properly.”

SP spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi also welcomed the Apex court’s decision, saying: “It strengthens Article 30 of the Constitution.” Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said, “We welcome the SC decision. It is no less than a tight slap on those doing communal politics.”