There is no order issued from the Uttar Pradesh government to close down madrasas that do not celebrate Republic Day.
Mohsin Raza, the Minister of State for Minority Welfare, spoke to the India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) and confirmed that it is fake news. He said that the Uttar Pradesh government had not released any order to shut down madrasas that do not celebrate Republic Day. There is a previous order asking madrasas to commemorate Independence Day and Republic Day. The government is trying to modernize madrasas and not close them, he said.
The general secretary of All India Tanzeem Ulema-e-Islam, Maulana Abdul Jalil Nizami, also confirmed to AFWA that there is no mention of closing down madrasas in any government order. He said that they have been receiving advisories from the state government since 2017, asking madrasas to observe Independence Day and Republic Day and keep videos and pictures of celebrations. They have not received any circular stating that madrasas will be closed if they do not follow the order.
The madrasa teachers have not been asked to submit photos and videos to the government formally. They keep the clips as a precautionary measure because of the advisory. Some teachers said they celebrated Independence Day and Republic Day for years. The Allahabad district minority officer, Prakash Tiwari, who has been the in-charge, said that all 300 registered madrasas have been celebrating Independence Day.
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