Muslim bodies slam Uttarakhand madrasa bill, call it an attack on religious freedom
Dehradun: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and several prominent Muslim organizations have strongly condemned the BJP-led Uttarakhand government’s proposed madrasa regulation bill, terming it a violation of constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and minority rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the controversy follows the introduction of a bill requiring all madrasas in Uttarakhand to register with a government educational board, which would also determine the religious content permitted to be taught and prescribe the curriculum.
In a joint statement, heads of major organizations, including AIMPLB, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Majlis Ittehad-e-Millat and Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith Hind, said the bill – which would also vest in the government the authority to determine what religious content may or may not be taught and prescribe the curriculum – was contrary to the principles of a secular state.
They stated that the legislation violates constitutional protections under Articles 25 and 26, which guarantee freedom of religion, and Article 30, which grants minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions. The organisations added that related matters are already under judicial consideration in the Uttarakhand High Court, and warned that the issue may be taken to the Supreme Court of India if necessary.
The statement described the proposed law as part of a “concerted attempt to undermine Islamic seminaries” by elements that had “attained power through divisive and hate-driven politics.” It further urged the Muslim community to collectively oppose the bill and defend constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of madrasas.
Earlier this month Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the abolition of the state’s Madrasa Board, directing all madrasas to adopt the state education board curriculum from July 2026 as part of a move to introduce the uniform education system.
In April 2025, at least 170 madrasas were sealed by athorities in Uttarakhand, an action widely criticized as targeted against Muslim educational institutions.
Notably, Uttarakhand is the first Indian state to implement a Uniform Civil Code, a move that has drawn criticism from several quarters as being “constitutionally flawed, legally untenable, and fundamentally violative of religious freedom and civil liberties.”
