– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi, March 21: While serving a legal notice to the child panel chief, Maulana Mahmood Madani-led Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind urged National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairman Priyank Kanungo to retract false statements he made against Jamiat-run Open School Center and shun making misleading information about religious madrasas. Kanungo has been using various pretexts to target Madrasas.
In response to false, concocted, and defamatory statements against Jamiat made by NCPCR chief, Jamiat’s lawyer Vrinda Grover sent him a notice demanding the retraction of these statements within seven days, failing which legal action will be pursued.
In a letter to the National Institute of Open School (NIOS) on March 13, Kanungo made outrageous claims about Jamiat Open School, calling its operations “organized crime” and implying inappropriate financial ties with Pakistan. He continued to spread these disparaging comments in a broadcast interview.
Jamiat’s legal representatives have vehemently denied the unfounded accusations in a letter dated March 20, 2024, sent to Kanungo. The reputation and integrity of Jamiat as a group committed to meeting the educational requirements of underrepresented people, especially those belonging to the Muslim minority, have been damaged by these accusations, which have been spread through a variety of media outlets.
The Jamiat’s notice categorically disputes these charges. The Jamiat Open School operates within legal bounds and offers formal education options accredited by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to vulnerable people, especially Muslims. The project aims to empower students who have been denied access to traditional educational options and to make it easier for them to integrate into society at large.
According to the notice, Kanungo’s use of derogatory language against Dar-ul-Ulooms and madrasas is unjustified. It is important to remember that “Madrasas” are recognized by our legal system. The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act-2009 clearly states in Section 1(5) that Madrasas, Vedic Pathshalas, and other institutions that primarily provide religious instruction are exempt from the Act’s application. As a result, Madrasas’ legitimacy is recognized by statute, and other state-level legislations also acknowledge these centres of religious instruction.
On Kanungo’s insinuations regarding financial impropriety, the notice said these are baseless and unfounded allegations, as Jamiat adheres strictly to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, with a valid FCRA certificate issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Jamiat complies fully with all legal requirements outlined in the FCRA law and regulations. No funds are transferred to Pakistan, nor is it utilized for any illegal purposes; instead, it is continuously monitored by the Ministry’s FCRA wing as per the law’s mandate. Since this matter is outside the NCPCR’s purview, his actions are reprehensible, especially because their claims are based on erroneous information, conjecture, and unsupportable allegations.
The background of Kanungo in RSS is no secret. As a result, his entire demeanor and words convey the RSS worldview.
In November last, the Child Panel ordered the Chief Secretary of Karnataka to file an FIR against Darul Uloom Sayideeya Yateemkhana, an orphanage located in Bengaluru, for alleged rule violations. However, the orphanage management filed a counter FIR against him for spreading misinformation and invading the premises of the institution.
Jamiat has urged the media to be cautious while spreading unsubstantiated claims that damage the standing of institutions dedicated to meeting the educational needs of underprivileged communities.
