UP madrassa survey: Child's rights protection body slams Owaisi for "misleading minorities"

New Delhi [India], September 1 : Amid the ongoing row over madrassas, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairman Priyank Kanoongo slammed All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and said that Owaisi was misleading minorities. He also thanked the Uttar Pradesh administration for taking cognizance and ordering a survey.
"Owaisi sir is lying. He is misleading minorities and playing with the rights of youth. Article 30 argument won't apply as the government is the custodian of the rights of children who are out of school. We've to go to Madrassas to know the data on out-of-school children," Priyank Kanoongo, NCPCR said.
He also thanked the Uttar Pradesh administration and said, "I would like to thank Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and UP Minority Affairs Minister for having taken cognizance and ordered a survey for the same. I request all CMs to conduct surveys in their respective states for children's rights. No communal right can be above the right of children."
His statements came after Owaisi hit out against the Yogi Adityanath led-Uttar Pradesh Government for its decision to conduct a survey of madrassas in the north Indian state.
Stating that as per Article 30, the madrassas fall under the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Board the AIMIM chief likened the survey to a "Mini-NRC" (National Register of Citizens) and accused the UP government of "harassing Muslims".
"Madrassas are as per Article 30 then why has the UP government ordered the survey? It's not a survey but a mini-NRC. Some madrassas are under the UP madrassa board. Govt can't interfere with our rights under Art 30. They just want to harass Muslims," Owaisi said earlier in the day.
The NCPCR chief also stressed that the government has every right to take note of the conditions of the children in the state.
"Government (UP) has every right to go, ask about conditions of children and reengage them in the education system... our report shows that over 1.10 crore children are studying in unmapped and unrecognized Madrassas," he added.
Turbulence was evoked after the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday announced that it will conduct a survey of unrecognised madrassas to ascertain the number of students, teachers, curriculum and affiliation with any non-government organisation of these institutions.
An executive order was passed to transfer the teaching and non-teaching staff of aided madrassas with the consent of the managers of the madrassas concerned along with the approval of the Registrar and the UP Madarsa Education Council.
The survey will be carried out as per the requirement of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in connection with the availability of basic facilities to the students in madrassas, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Danish Azad Ansari said.
Ansari Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Waqf Department said that the order also holds to give maternity leave and child care leave to women employees working in madrasas in the light of the rules applicable in the Department of Secondary Education and Basic Education.
CM Yogi Adityanath's government taking a fully active approach regarding the education system in madrassas as all the District Magistrates (DMs) have been issued instructions regarding the survey.
Meanwhile, the government has also ordered holding a survey of unrecognised madrassas by October 5, teams will constitute officials of the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) and District Minority Officers.
Once the survey is conducted it has also been instructed to hand over the report to the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) after which ADM will present the consolidated reports to the District Magistrates (DMs).
Moreover, it has been ordered that in case of a disputed management committee or in case of the death of any employee in an aided Madrassas, a post-facto approval for appointment by the principal Madrassas and District Minority Welfare Officer in the dependent quota of the deceased and the existence of a valid management committee has to be sought.