No more kurta-pyjama in UP Madrasas?

File picture of students in a madrassa.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government is mulling to introduce a dress code in the madrasas affiliated to the State Madarsa Board, after which students in madrasas will wear pant-shirt instead of traditional kurta pyjamas. State Minister for Minority Affairs Mohsin Raza said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream that students of Madrasas should have the Quran in one hand and a laptop in other. Raza said he will soon call a meeting of his department to take a decision in this regard. The move comes after the Adityanath government introduced NCERT books in the madrasas of Uttar Pradesh in an effort to bring the students on par with other educational institutions. Madarsas are minority educational institutions offering study in Islamic theology and religious law. Currently, there are about 19,000 recognised and 560 aided madrasas operating in the state. Reacting to the development, SP spokesperson Sunil Yadav said this move of UP government is an attempt to polarize the society. The Congress said the BJP, instead of providing facilities, is indulging in doing politics by introducing a dress code in madrasas. Muslim cleric Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said the state government is trying political mobilisation on the basis of religion.