Story perspectives

West Bengal orders closure of 252 madrassas after survey

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 4:21 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

West Bengal government ordered closure of 252 madrassas and issued show-cause notices to about 100 others after a survey.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed the statewide survey to identify authorised and unauthorised madrassas.
District magistrates found 2,132 madrassas registered and 2,396 operating without government affiliation.
The closures target madrassas lacking basic infrastructure and accused of teaching anti-India curricula.
Minister Kshudiram Tudu said madrassas with proper approvals will remain open.

History

Historical Context

The demolition of the 16th-century Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 by VHP and allied groups triggered riots that killed roughly 2,000 people across India. The violence prompted the Union Home Ministry to set up the Liberhan Commission, marking a shift toward greater government scrutiny of religious institutions. Today West Bengal’s chief minister Suvendu Adhikari is surveying 2,396 madrassas, echoing those 1990s interventions.

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Story summary

West Bengal government ordered closure of 252 madrassas and issued show-cause notices to about 100 others after a survey.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed the statewide survey to identify authorised and unauthorised madrassas.
District magistrates found 2,132 madrassas registered and 2,396 operating without government affiliation.
The closures target madrassas lacking basic infrastructure and accused of teaching anti-India curricula.
Minister Kshudiram Tudu said madrassas with proper approvals will remain open.

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