Court ruling effectively outlaws Islamic schools in India’s most populous state

A court in Indias most populous state has effectively banned Islamic schools by striking down a law governing madrasas, weeks before a nationwide election that could further polarize the worlds largest democracy along religious lines.. ..

The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh on Friday declared the Madrasa Act of 2004 to be unconstitutional, according to a court order seen by CNN, while ordering the state government to move students enrolled in the Islamic system into mainstream schools.. ..

We hold that the Madarsa (sic) Act, 2004, is violative of the principle of Secularism, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India, the high court said in its order.. ..

It is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has over the past decade made headlines for passing some of the countrys most controversial laws that critics say discriminate against Muslims and marginalize them in the secular republic.. . . Fridays court order affects 2.7 million students and 10,000 teachers in 25,000 madrasas, Reuters reported, citing Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, the head of the board of madrasa education in the state.. ..

It comes weeks before a nationwide election - the worlds largest - during which an estimated 960 million people are eligible to vote.. . Modis BJP is expected to secure another five years in power, ruling an India that has become increasingly polarized along religious lines.. . While the Allahabad High Court order cited Indias constitutional separation of religion and state in its reasoning for ruling against madrasas, it is Modi who has been frequently accused by critics of dismantling Indias secular traditions.. ..

You might be interested in