Shia Waqf board chairman Waseem Rizwi writes letter to PM Modi seeking ban on Madrasas

Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to shut madrasas across the country as Islamic State (IS) ideology is being promoted there to influence the students.

He feared that students in madrasas are being used as captive audience to promote Islamism. In the letter addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rizvi said that if the madrasas are not shut down, half of the Muslims in the country will be supporters of IS ideology in the next 15 years.

He further added that children are the easiest target for any terror activity. "Children in madrasas are kept away from normal life and normal education and are imbibed hardline thoughts in the name of Islam," Rizvi said.

The Islamic State (which was earlier known as ISIS), one of the most dangerous terror organisations, have lost a major chunk of its cadres in fighting in Iraq and Syria, and is trying to expand.

On December 26, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted search operations in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, and busted an ISIS-inspired module. 10 people, including one who worked in Madrasa, were detained by the NIA as they unerathed a terryfying terrorist plot.

READ: NIA's ISIS Crackdown: Huge Cache Of Arms, Explosive Materials, 100+ Mobile Phones, Multiple Targets, Ten Arrests And A Terrifying Terrorist Plot. Details Here

The detainees were interrogated by the investigative agency, following which it was revealed that the arrested individuals were at an advanced stage of preparation to carry out series of blasts. Following items were recovered from them during the search operations:

• Large quantity of weapons
• Explosive materials
• A country-made rocket launcher
• Rs 7.5 lakh
• 100+ mobile phones
• 135 sim cards
• Laptops and memory cards
• 120 alarm clocks and batteries (to make detonators)
• Along with that, 25 kilos of explosive chemicals were also found including potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, sugar paste, sulphur and
• bomb-making tutorials

It was also found out that the detainees had the target to attack crowded places and prominent personalities. A video was also found, in which one of the detainees could be seen showing how to make a bomb.

READ: After Busting ISIS-like Terror Module, NIA Follows Up With Fresh Raids In UP And Punjab; Two Detained

Less than a week ago, the NIA conducted further search operations in connection to the previous arrests. The investigative agency detained two more individuals after conducting raids in Delhi, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh.