After Uttar Pradesh and Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Madhya Pradesh has said it would clamp down on "illegal" madrasas.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government has vowed to step up action against what it calls "illegal madrasas", with Chouhan saying that "bigotry and extremism will not be tolerated". He made the comment as he announced the decision to review "illegal" madrasas.
The state will review "illegal" madrasas and institutions where "lessons of bigotry are taught", said Chouhan in a tweet.
The announcement drew criticism from several social media users. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the Madhya Pradesh administration and government were not running as per the Constitution but on the directions of communal elements.
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"The minority community is being targeted on the directions of communal elements for the purpose of communal polarization," the CPIM said.
Notably, Madhya Pradesh goes to polls later this year. It is among the four major states along with Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh that have assembly elections slated to be held this yaer which are likely to set the tone for general elections next year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek reelection.
Chouhan made the comments in a meeting with district police chiefs, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
The HT reported, "In a meeting to review law and order in Bhopal, Chouhan told the superintendents of police of all 52 districts that illegal madrasas and institutions that were teaching radicalism will be reviewed and action will be takien against them, according to the chief minister's office."
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The Congress too criticised the BJP government's decision, with state party leader KK Mishra saying that Chouhan should seek votes in the names of developments and not in the name of religion.
Citing Chouhan as saying that "illegal madrasas and institutions where radicalisation is being tought will be review", Mishra noted that it took 18 years for Chouhan to realise it.
"The CM took 18 years to understand this. Does it mean intelligence failure?" said Mishra.
He further tweeted, "Cm Sahab, you are 'development man', right? Please ask for votes on development. Why are you raising temple, mosque, madrasa, graveyard, cremation ground?"
