Minority Commission Calls RPF Officers' Arrest Of Madrasa Students "Discriminatory"; Demands Punitive Action
Uttar Pradesh Commission For Minorities today called the action of Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials who detained Madrasa students from a railway station last month “discriminatory.” The commission also demanded punitive action against the officials in involved in the incident.
On April 24 this year, a group of students, who were traveling to Madrasa in Hyderabad after their Eid holidays, were detained by the RPF from Secunderabad railway station. The students were hailing from Jharkhand’s Godda district when they were taken into custody.
In the group, there were students who were going to seek new admission, in addition to the already enrolled students at the Madrasa. The officials reportedly arrested them as few did not had the required documents with them.
Notably, it is reported that the police detained the students despite producing proper travel and identification credentials. The UP commission for minorities, however, termed the action discriminatory, while urging action against the officials. Journalist Piyush Rai in a post on X shared the letter, highlighting that the students were sent to a child correction home, which is meant for those with criminal tendencies.
A Madrasa in UP”s Kanpur had complained to the minority commission alleging 14 minor students travelling from Bihar to their Madrasa in Kanpur after their Eid holidays were detained by RPF on 24 April 2024 and sent to child correction home despite them producing proper travel and… pic.twitter.com/hL4AAqBirc
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 31, 2024
Social activist Affan Nomani was helping the students with legal procedures. Nomani had alleged that the students were taken after the child rights movement Bachpan Bachao Andolan provided a complaint regarding child labuor and human trafficking. “Bachpan Bachao Andolan is needlessly harassing students. Detaining minors like this on suspicion has unnecessarily instilled fear among students,” news outlet Clarion quoted Nomani.
Nomani had also asked why is Bachpan Bachao Andolan targeting Madras students only? “So many crimes are committed against minors but they do not raise such real issues rather they are harassing these Madrasa students needlessly,” Nomani said.
