Teaching Quran Can't Happen On Govt Money, No State-Run Madrasas In Assam Says Himanta Biswa Sarma

Senior Assam Minster Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that all state-run madrasas in Assam will be converted to regular schools. In certain cases the Madrasas will be shut down and its teachers transferred to other state-run schools.

Sarma said that in his opinion the teaching of Quran cannot happen at the cost of government money.

"In my opinion, teaching 'Quran' can't happen at the cost of government money, if we have to do so then we should also teach both the Bible and Bhagavad Gita. So, we want to bring uniformity and stop this practice", Sarma has been quoted by ANI as saying.

Sarma had earlier said that the state government would issue a formal notification to this regard in November.

After the closing down of the madrasas, 48 contractual teachers are likely to be shifted to schools under the Education Department.

Following the government's announcement, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal said that if the BJP-led government shut down government-run madrasas, his party would re-open them after coming to power in the next year's Assembly elections.