The name of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi evokes strong hostile reaction among the Muslim community as it holds him responsible for the riots that left many Muslims killed and not many have been brought to justice over the killings.
So for a Vice-Chancellor of Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband to speak in laudatory terms about Modi was unthinkable. It was no surprise that he became the target of attacks from students. Maulana Gulam Mohammad Vastanvi decided to resign but that has not changed his views.
He has said that people in Gujarat felt that development is happening in the state.
"The people of Gujarat agree on the fact that development is happening in the state and everyone whether a Hindu or a Muslim is there," he said. He, however, said that the Gujarat Chief Minister should not be given a clean chit.
Meanwhile, Deputy Vcechancellor of the seminary, Maulana Abdul Khalik Madrasi, told a news agency that a decision on the resignation issue would be taken on February 23 by its managing committee. "If his resignation is accepted, a new name for the post would be considered by the committee," he said. UP Samajwadi Party secretary Maviya Ali has demanded that the management committee should not accept Vastanvi's resignation. "It was most unfortunate that Vastanvi was not allowed to work in an institution which could have benefited from his experience," he said.
The decision by the newly-elected chief of Darul Uloom Deoband to resign followed protests by seminary students over his remarks on Modi. The decision has been termed as "unfortunate" by some clerics, who expected him to make positive changes in the 200-year-old institution.
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 and that the community did not face discrimination in Modi's state.
