Hindutva groups demand closure of madrasa in 400-year-old Hyderabad mosque
Hyderabad: The Hindutva outfits staged a sit-in outside a 400-year-old seminary named Madrasa Noomania in Hyderabad’s Balapur demanding it be shut down.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the seminary operates inside the Qutb Shahi-era Masjid-e-Hussaini, a nearly 400-year-old mosque where five daily prayers are held regularly.
The demonstrators gathered near the entrance of the madrasa and raised slogans calling for its closure. They alleged unspecified “violations” by the institution and questioned its activities, media reports quoted eye-witnesses said.
The madrasa administrators rejected the allegations as baseless, saying the school operates legally, runs regular religious and basic education classes, and has long served the neighbourhood without any untoward incident. The madrasa’s management clarified that all its students are locals from Telangana, dismissing claims of outsiders being enrolled.
Amjadullah Khan, spokesperson for the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), said the protest was staged deliberately to stir tensions, a The Observer Post report said.
“Communal elements staged a dharna demanding the closure of Madarsa Noomania. This is a 400-year-old Qutb Shahi masjid, and the madrasa has been peacefully functioning here for years. Such actions are meant only to create communal trouble,” Khan is quoted as saying.
Khan further accused the Balapur police of remaining passive during the demonstration, allowing protesters to raise anti-Muslim slogans for nearly two hours.
The madrasa management has reportedly announced it would continue its regular schedule, while also cooperating with any government verification.
