Congress accuses BJP of communalising education
Congress accuses BJP of communalising education
Seeks probe into Betul school demolition, Vaishno Devi Medical College closure
NEW DELHI : The Congress on Friday accused the BJP-led government of deliberately destroying and communalising the country’s education system, citing incidents ranging from the demolition of a school in Madhya Pradesh to the closure of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress General Secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, and party National Secretary Divvya Madernna alleged that the ruling party was turning educational institutions into instruments of political and communal agendas.
Dr Hussain said quality education is the foundation of a developed nation, but “poison is continuously being injected into the education system under the present government.” He demanded the immediate reopening of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College after corrective measures, and the reconstruction of the demolished school in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
Raising the Betul issue, Dr Hussain said a school built by Abdul Naeem at a personal cost of about Rs 20–22 lakh for local children was bulldozed despite having all necessary permissions. He alleged that rumours were spread that a madrasa was being run there merely because the founder was a Muslim, and that the school was demolished without any notice, inquiry or hearing.
On Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, Hussain said students were admitted on merit through NEET and that 42 of the 50 selected students were Muslims due to the demographic composition of the area, and also because the students preferred a college closer to their homes. He questioned the National Medical Commission’s decision to revoke the college’s recognition, asking whether infrastructure and regulatory norms had not been verified when approval for the MBBS course was granted in September 2025. He also asked whether the NMC was also being misused like the ED, CBI, Income Tax Department, and the Election Commission.
The Congress leader also cited other incidents, including the poisoning of a school water tank in Belagavi, Karnataka, to defame a Muslim headmaster, in which 12 children fell ill. He also referred to the disruption of Christmas celebrations at St Mary’s School in Assam’s Nalbari district on December 24, 2025. He further alleged pressure in Uttar Pradesh to cancel Christmas holiday and celebrations.
Dr Hussain said that educational institutions were being “openly saffronised” and the institutions promoting critical thinking and a scientific approach were being attacked in multiple ways. He pointed to budget cuts of Rs 68.73 crore for Jamia Millia Islamia and Rs 306 crore for Aligarh Muslim University, while alleging that there had been no increase in funding for Jawaharlal Nehru University over the past seven years despite expansion. Schools were being shut down and teachers not being recruited, he said.
He added that only about 27 per cent of Indian students have access to higher education, compared to nearly 70 per cent in countries such as the US and China, and remarked that bright students are leaving the country, resulting in a continuous brain drain.
Divvya Madernna said that instead of building schools and hospitals, institutions were being shut down. Recalling the Right to Education Act enacted by the UPA government, she alleged that the BJP was converting the “sacred space of education into a political arena” and attempting to suppress critical thinking among the youth.
The Congress leaders demanded the constitution of a high-powered committee to investigate both the Betul school demolition and the closure of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, punishment for those responsible, an end to “bulldozer culture”, and an immediate halt to “poisonous politics” in education.
