New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Ajay Rai, while reacting to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights' (NCPCR) recommendations seeking closure of Madrasa Boards, said that this was not a practical appeal, and hence it should be withdrawn.

“Those madrasas that have deficiencies should be investigated and closed, but not all of them,” he told IANS.

Rai professed, “The BJP always does politics to divide people… sometimes on Hindus and Muslims…sometimes on upper and backward castes. The BJP is boasting of winning one election that, too, through ‘setting’. All these things are going to end. This Bharatiya Janata Party and its group will be completely destroyed.”

On RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat who is very vocal on Hinduism these days, the Congress leader said, “Hindus are united, were united and will remain united…Mohan Bhagwat is worried because the BJP is not getting votes.”

“If the RSS chief talks about atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, then he should tell where is Sheikh Hasina. Mohan Bhagwat should reveal the whereabouts of Sheikh Hasina who fled Bangladesh,” he added.

On UP bypolls, Ajay Rai said, “We have only one aim and that is to defeat the BJP, and for that, we are working unitedly.”

Notably, the NCPCR has recommended that all states and Union Territories discontinue funding for Madrasa Boards and eventually shut them down.

In a letter addressed to Chief Secretaries of states and Union Territories, NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo also advised that non-Muslim children currently enrolled in madrasas be moved to mainstream schools, in line with the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009.

The recommendations are based on a comprehensive report prepared after studying the educational conditions of children from the Muslim community.

According to Kanoongo, this report is aimed at creating a road map for ensuring that all children in India grow up in a safe and productive environment, ultimately contributing to national development.