Madrassa board chief appointment brews dissent in BJP

Dehradun: With speculation of a ‘parachute’ candidate for the state madrassa board chairman becoming rife, uneasiness is prevailing in the state BJP camp.
Sensing the disappointment among party’s minority members over reports of Bilal-Ur Rehman, a Delhi-based minority leader, getting the post, Ajay Bhatt, BJP state president and Nainital MP, on Wednesday said that he would not let any ‘outsider’ take the post.“I would ensure that a local party worker, who has a clean image, gets to head the madrassa board in Uttarakhand. In elections, our minority wing tirelessly worked for the party’s success on all the five seats.” Notably, Nainital constituency has a substantial population of minority voters.
In March this year, the saffron party cleared over a dozen political appointments in state boards, councils and commissions but skipped the appointment of Uttarakhand Madrassa Board chairman. Questioning Rehman’s appointment, a party member said, “How can someone who owns a huge mining business and who is not based in Uttarakhand be appointed as the chairman of the state madrassa board?”
He added that Rehman was “using his connections with RSS and BJP leaders to secure the post.”
Meanwhile, Rehman defended himself while speaking to TOI. “I have been working in the state for more than eight years. Though I have studied in Delhi but I have a house in Dehradun. And how does having a mining business make me unsuitable for the post? My party has seen my work and dedication. Some leaders are just sulking due to my elevation.”
Notably, the madrassa board has a critical role to play since it is the main nodal body in the implementation of scores of central government schemes of education and social welfare for the Muslim population.