Overview
- Nitesh Rane said he will ask Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to close madrasas in Maharashtra, calling them “breeding grounds for terrorists.”
- He cited a viral clip he said was from Sawantwadi showing a cleric beating a child and vowed strict action over the incident.
- He further alleged that weapons are sometimes found in madrasas and questioned the need for such institutions, suggesting religious teaching occur in mosques.
- Opposition figures including Congress’s Aslam Shaikh, Shiv Sena UBT’s Sachin Ahir, and AIMIM’s Waris Pathan condemned the remarks and demanded proof, with Shaikh raising the prospect of resignation if claims go unsubstantiated.
- Samajwadi Party leaders Abu Azmi and Rais Shaikh rejected the allegations, with Azmi proposing CCTV-backed inspections and Rais Shaikh asserting that madrasas teach positive values.