Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Affairs Danish Azad Ansari, on Saturday, accused the opposition parties of spearheading a misinformation campaign against the ongoing survey of the madrasas in the state.

“Opposition parties are spreading canard against the survey with the aim of instilling a sense of fear among the Muslim clerics and the community at large. The survey is being conducted for gathering information and it is not related to any kind of investigation of the madrasas,” the minister said.

“We are conducting a survey for the betterment of madrasas. Our aim is to modernise madrasas and we are trying to do the same. Modern education is also being given along with religious knowledge in madrasas. All previous governments have used Muslims only as a vote bank,” Ansari said.

“Only the Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath governments have run many schemes for the welfare of the minorities. Members of opposition parties are creating confusion regarding the survey of madrasas. Our intention is not to harm the madrasas and no religious school will be demolished,” the minister added.

“The information about the sources of incomes of the madrasas is also being collected to ascertain whether madrasas have the resources to meet their expenditure like the salaries of the teaching and non-teaching staff,” he said.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh had on September 1 issued orders for a survey of the unrecognised private madrasas in the state. Many opposition parties slammed the move and some have even termed it as a ‘mini NRC (National Register of Citizens)’ launched by the government.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief and former chief minister Mayawati has attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the survey of private madrasas. The BSP chief said that it would have been better if the BJP government focused on improving the condition of government schools.

After the orders of the Uttar Pradesh government to survey private madrasas operating in the state, officials on Thursday had visited Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema in Lucknow. The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board has already objected to the survey of private madrasas by the Uttar Pradesh government and has termed it unconstitutional.

Abdul Aziz Nadwi, vice-principal of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema, said, “There is nothing to hide from authorities; everyone knows that we run on donations. We have furnished all the information sought by the authorities.”