Manipur CM Biren Singh supports Himanta Biswa Sarma's madrasa demolition act

While extending support to his Assam counterpart, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh stated on Thursday that he supports Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s madrasa demolition drive in the state and that the BJP is only opposed to the unlawful madrasas. He further claimed that if he had been the chief minister of Assam, he would have done the same.

Speaking to media, Biren Singh said, "What the Chief Minister is doing in Assam in connection with the madrasa is right. Those who have to approach the courts can do it, it is a democracy. But he is doing the right thing. If I had been at Himanta Biswa Sarma`s place as a chief minister, I would have taken the same action."

Standing up for Sarma, who had received criticism from the Congress for taking action against the madrasas that the Assam Chief Minister claimed were home to Al-Qaeda, Biren Singh claimed that Sarma is aware of the political landscape of the region and is acting accordingly.

"Sarma is an experienced politician who is connected to the grassroots. He understands the political demography there. He is working according to that only. We have instructed earlier to the madrasas in Manipur to impart a general education," said N Biren Singh,

Meanwhile, several demolition drives against Madrassas have been carried out in the state of Assam, in the past few months. Recently, the civic administration in Assam’s Bongaigaon district demolished a private madrassa as part of the Bharatiya Janata party-led government’s “crackdown against Jihadi activities” in the state.
 
The two storied, Markazul Maarif Quariyana Madrassa in Kabaitari Part IV village – which falls under the jurisdiction of Jogighopa police station, was demolished using excavators, after a teacher teaching the premises was arrested on charges of having links with Jihadi group Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Notably, the locals of Pakhiura Char in Goalpara, voluntarily pulled down a madrasa set up by a Jihadi, and which was allegedly used as base by four suspected Jihadis, including two Bangladeshi nationals for terror activities.
The police was surprised to see the locals setting an example for others by demolishing the madrasa that has been functioning as a base for terror activities by the arrested Jihadis.

As many as four madrasas have been demolished in the past few months, with the first three being taken down by state government officials.