Uproar over U.P. Deputy CM comment on Madrasas, aimed to fuel communal polarisation, says Congress

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s statement over Madrasas led to an uproar in Uttar Pradesh, with opposition parties calling it aimed at fuelling communal polarisation. Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind also condemned the remarks on madrasas, calling them provocative, prejudiced and a deliberate attempt to undermine social harmony. Speaking to reporters in Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday (August 4, 2026), the Deputy CM said, “Those who receive a madrasa education neither chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ nor sing ‘Vande Mataram’; instead, they develop a terrorist-like mindset. Whether a madrasa is in Bangladesh, Pakistan, or India, it unofficially breeds terrorism,” he said. 

“Such a statement is aimed at disrupting communal harmony and fuelling communal tensions in view of elections. Madrasas have a rich legacy and acted as key centres in the freedom movement; the BJP leaders are doing anything possible to communalise society and create an environment against a particular community. As elections in U.P. are coming, such statements will become a routine for electoral gains. The judiciary should take cognisance of the attempt to fuel social unrest,” said Shahnawaz Alam, National Secretary, Congress.