Shia board chief gets legal notice for 'defamatory' remarks against madrasas

The notice follows Rizvi's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on January 9 in which he claimed that madrasas bred terrorists

Representational image: Courtesy: PTI

Lucknow: A legal notice was served on Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi by the Jamiat Ulama- I-Hind, citing certain 'defamatory' remarks made by him about madrasas. The notice follows Rizvi's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on January 9 in which he claimed that madrasas bred terrorists and demanded that the Islamic institutions should be shut. The notice accused Rizvi of "insinuating" that madrasa education systems has not contributed to the progress of young Muslims, but has in fact created a sense of fundamentalism in them without any data to indicate. It sought for a written and unconditional apology from Rizvi and a payment of Rs 20 crore towards damages. The Jamiat Ulama-E-Hind is one of the leading Islamic foundations in the country. The remarks were also criticised by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who has said that madrasas contribute to the growth of the country.