By RINA,
New Delhi: Reacting sharply to the report of Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by Congress leader Virappa Moily, which reportedly linked Darul Uloom Deoband with terrorists, rector of the seminary Maulana Marghoobur Rahman demanded the government to make the report public.
Denying allegations made in the report, he said, “Darul Uloom Deoband has never been in contact of any terrorist organization or its authorities.”
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinay Katiyar had last week demanded the government to impose restrictions on Darul Uloom Deoband on the basis of the report submitted by the Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Virappa Moily if the report is correct, otherwise the Congress Party should apologize Darul Uloom. Deoband authorities and leaders of Muslim organizations have condemned Katiyar remark.
Discussing the issue of terrorism, it is remarked in the para number 1.2.5 of the ARC report presented in June 2008 that some Ulema of Darul Uloom Deoband have been involved in terrorism. This observation was made on the basis of the alleged report that Masood Azhar, Pakistani terror chief, had tried to avail the services of some Ulema of Darul Uloom as arbitrators for solving the long standing schism between Harkatul Mujahideen and Harkatul Jihad Al-Islami and he had visited Deoband in this connection.
Marghoobur Rahman demanded the government to make the report public. Denying both allegations of the report, he said, “Darul Uloom Deoband has never been in contact of any terrorist organization or its authorities.” On the issue of Bangladeshi students, he said, “No Bangladeshi student has been admitted in Darul Uloom. None of the five students arrested by police and secret department was rolled in Darul Uloom.”
Condemning Vinay Katiyar’s allegation, the Mohtamim of Darul Uloom Wakf Deoband and vice-president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Mohammad Salim Qasimi said, “Darul Uloom Deoband or Ulema of Deoband have never been associated with Maulana Mas’ood Azhar. Besides Darul Uloom, people like Katiyar and Togariya are defaming Muslim religious institutions as well as the religion of Islam through false accusations. BJP is raising such fictitious issues because it has no issue for coming parliamentary elections.”
Questioning the said contents of the ARC report, the Na’ib Mohtamim of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi said, “Now it has been established that RSS men, who want to devastate the country, have intruded in the Congress Party. Recently, union home minister had to resign because he was advocating for RSS from Congress platform. Moily seems to be working against common culture of India as an RSS activist.” He demanded the Congress Party to purge RSS lobby from its camp.
The chairman of All India Muslim Economic Council, Maulana Haseeb Siddiqui, who is an honorary associate of Darul Uloom Deoband was also irked over the ARC report. Expressing concern over the contents of the report leaked in the media, he said, “Darul Uloom’s doors are always open. It is not a nuclear plant being watched round the clock. It is very transparent to government authorities, police, administration and secret agencies as well as to common people. So, it is beyond common sense that Mas’ood Azhar would have come to Deoband and met some Ulema. The report seems to be a conspiracy.” He demanded the Congress Party to clarify about Moily report.