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Standing up for madrasas

Muslim voters in the Barmer Lok Sabha constituency in western Rajasthan, bordering Pakistan, were pleasantly surprised when Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a scathing attack on the BJP this week for describing madrasas functioning in the border areas as “breeding grounds for terrorism.” Mr. Gehlot, who was campaigning for Congress candidate Harish Chaudhary, called the BJP’s charge a pack of lies. Religious seminaries in the region have caught the attention of intelligence agencies ever since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. This is the first time that a Congress leader has explicitly said that madrasas have nothing to do with terrorism.

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