Deoband students accuse seminary of delaying decision on vice-chancellor

Darul-Uloom Deoband's students union and a citizens' group have accused the governing council of the Islamic seminary of attempting to delay a decision of the fate of its vice-chancellor Maulana Gulam Mohammad Vastanvi who has been mired in controversy for his remarks on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

"Earlier he (Vastanvi) had decided to step down and said that the Darul-Uloom authorities will convene a shoora (meet), which will decide his fate but the shoora has now been fixed for February 23, just to delay the issue," president of the Jamait-ul-Talba, the student union of Darul-Uloom, Maulvi Saad Jamil Bijnori said in a statement.

He said, "Students will oppose the arrival of Vastanvi in the seminary by raising slogans like 'go-back'."

Haji Mohd Anas Usmani, the president of a citizens' group in Deoband, 'Muhibban Darul-Uloom', has said that the organisation would also stage demonstrations when Vastanvi comes to Deoband.

However, Maviya Ali, who has been expelled from the Samajwadi party for anti-party activities, has said that he will organise his supporters to welcome Vastanvi.

Maintaining that he has not resigned as head of the seminary, Vastanvi has said a final view on his continuance will be taken by its governing council on February 23.

Vastanvi, who hails from Surat in Gujarat and was elected VC on January 10, has been facing protests from students at the seminary after he had said that Muslims should forget the communal pogrom of 2002 and move on.

He had also said that the community did not face discrimination in Modi's state.