Uttar Pradesh: SIT identifies 180 'unrecognised' madrassas along UP-Nepal border; probe underway

Sources said that the Special Investigation Team set up by the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government has identified 180 madrassas operating along the UP-Nepal border which have received funding worth Rs 150 crore from Gulf countries in the last two years. Following the revelation, all 25,000 madrassas operating in UP have now come under the scanner.

Lucknow: Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have claimed to have identified more than a hundred unrecognized madrassas (Islamic seminaries) operating along the UP-Nepal border which have received funding worth Rs 150 crore from Gulf countries in the last two years. According to government sources, the alleged unrecognized madrassas have been identified by a high level Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

It is learnt that the Minority Welfare Department had written a letter to the Home Department to investigate the alleged foreign funding being given to unrecognized madrassas in the state. The Home Department had later constituted a SIT headed by ADG ATS Mohit Aggarwal and comprising officials of the Minority Welfare Department.

Government sources said that during the subsequent investigation by the SIT, 180 unrecognized madrassas were identified on the Nepal-UP border, which had received foreign funding. According to the government sources, the SIT has received inputs that in the last two years, the said 180 madrassas have received funding of Rs 150 crore from Gulf countries.

Besides, an NGO based in Delhi has also given funding of Rs 20 crore to some madrassas in the last three years, which is also being investigated by the SIT, sources said. “Therefore, now the SIT has summoned all the documents related to the accounts from the administrators of the madrassas, so that it can be found out where this money has been spent,” said the government sources.

The sources said that out of 25,000 madrassas in UP, only 16,500 are recognized with the state government. After the formation of SIT, all 25,000 madrassas are being investigated by the authorities. The SIT will find whether the funds are being used for anti-national activities.