Arakan News Agency
Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Hyderabad, the ruling party in India, have demanded the closure of Darul Uloom Naumania School associated with the historic Jamia Husseinia Mosque in Sultanpur. They claim it is illegal and shelters refugees from the Rohingya community, which has sparked widespread controversy and sectarian tensions in the region.
The school official, “Maulana Akbar,” denied these accusations, asserting that all students are residents of Telangana State and that the allegations aim to seize a portion of the mosque’s land, which spans 1,000 square yards.
According to the Clarion India website, a dispute erupted after an incident of vandalism on a religious stone last April, which led to an intensified campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party against the religious institution.
Local residents expressed concern over targeting the mosque, which has served the community for generations. Meanwhile, party leaders, led by Ramakrishna Reddy, insisted that the school is operating without licenses and needs to be closed.
Legal experts and human rights activists have called for an impartial investigation, emphasizing the need to protect historical mosques and schools from political exploitation, while the Telangana police have yet to issue any comments.
Indian authorities continue to pursue Rohingya refugees and those aiding them in entering and living in the country, as India does not recognize them as refugees despite their possession of UNHCR cards, and is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention.
Over a million Rohingya have fled from the Arakan State in western Myanmar in recent years after the Myanmar military launched a genocide campaign against them in 2017. The Arakan Buddhist Militias (Arakan Army) launched a military campaign to take control of the state in November 2023, targeting them with violence, displacement, and forced recruitment. Most live in crowded camps in Bangladesh, while numbers are seeking to move to other countries looking for better living conditions.
