Lucknow, January 25: For the first time in Darul Uloom Deoband’s history, more than 100 students on Monday went on indefinite strike as clashes broke out in the seminary the previous night.
The protesting students demanded the removal of Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, who was elected vicechancellor ( V- C) of the institute only two weeks ago.
They alleged that Vastanvi’s followers had attacked his opponents on Sunday night, leaving two students injured. They urged the Majlis- e- Shurah, the supreme council, to re- elect someone “ more interested in the development of the seminary than in self- promotion”. The students, campaigning for Vastanvi’s removal because of his comments lauding Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, reportedly disrupted classes.
In an attempt to suppress the student’s campaign, the authorities on Monday evening expelled nine protesters.
The move came even as Vastanvi issued a statement earlier in the day claiming that the situation at the seminary was normal and all the administrative and educational activities were going on.
“ Last night, some mischievous elements from outside Darul Uloom tried to vitiate the situation. But due to timely action by Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Sambhali and other respected teachers, these bad intentions failed. The situation soon returned to normalcy and students attended their classes.
The Darul Uloom administration enjoys full support of the staff, students and the Deoband citizens,” the statement said.
The protesting students have a different take. Mohd Qasim Dehalvi, one of the students injured in the clashes, said he was attacked by Maulana Madrasi, deputy rector of the seminary, and some students.Madrasi attacked me violently.
I was not expecting this from such a senior member of the institute and didn’t realise that it was pre- planned. They targeted me because I was opposing Vastanvi, who is close not only to Modi but also to Ahmed Patel of the Congress,” Dehalvi said.
“ We were trying to convince the students to withdraw their protest when two groups clashed with each other,” he said.
The protest against Vastanvi started last week when he said that Muslims faced no discrimination in Gujarat and that they were prospering in Modi’s rule.
The rector later backtracked.
On Monday he reiterated: “ All the allegations against me are baseless.
I have never given a clean chit to Modi. I joined the seminary because I was invited to. But I can leave it if the Majlis- e- Shurah asks me to put in my papers.” The controversy, however, seems unlikely to die down.
Arshad Raza Qasmi, a former student, said: “ We will not allow him to stay in Deoband. He is a traitor who makes an anti- Muslim statement and then backtracks for his benefit.
His 200 madrasas are flourishing in Gujarat and Maharashtra because of the BJP and the Congress respectively.” Parvez Akhtar, another student injured in Sunday’s clashes, alleged that Vastanvi’s election to the post was rigged and was politically motivated. “ There are 17 members in the Majlis- e- Shurah, of which 14 exercised their franchise.
Eight votes went to Vastanvi, four to Arshad Madani and two to Madrasi. But Madani and Madrasi were in the race only to ensure Vastanvi’s victory. Madani is related to Vastanvi and Madrasi is Madani’s confidant,” he said.
Akhtar said Mufti Sayed Palanpuri, who is the head of the teaching staff and a member of the Majlis- e- Shurah, can attend its meeting but can’t vote. Still, he was allowed to vote.
Mohd Afzal, another protester, said: “ Vastanvi went to Delhi to meet Patel soon after becoming V- C. We also came to know that MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal and Malegaon MLA Mufti Mohammad Ismail, both members of the Majlis- e- Shurah, were constantly in touch with Patel during the election. The entire Darul Uloom knows this high- level politics behind Vastanvi’s appointment and is therefore opposing him.”
—-Agencies