Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad has launched a detailed data collection drive covering madrasas in eight districts under the Prayagraj zone. The move follows the recent blast in Delhi that killed twelve people and injured several others. The ATS has asked district minority welfare officers to share lists of students, teaching staff and clerics linked to madrasas in Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Banda, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot and Mahoba.
Officials said the letter, issued on November 15, seeks names, fathers’ names, addresses and contact numbers of students. Officers said the aim of the exercise is to strengthen oversight and stop any misuse of religious institutions by anti social elements. They also noted that the directive is limited to the selected districts and is not a statewide order.
Prayagraj District Minority Welfare Officer Krishna Murari said his office has already submitted the district report. Prayagraj has 206 active madrasas. Forty three receive government aid. One hundred sixty nine are privately managed. ATS teams have started field verification based on the information received.
State Panchayati Raj and Minority Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said district administrations have been told to speed up staff list compilation. He said the government will support the ATS and ensure closer scrutiny of anyone displaying unusual activity.
The Delhi blast involved an explosion in a slow moving car near Lal Quila Metro Station. The impact damaged nearby vehicles and caused multiple deaths. Investigators have linked the incident to a terror module uncovered in Faridabad. Several suspects are in custody. Security agencies are working to identify the full network behind the attack.
