Minister of State Raghuraj Singh even suggested shutting down minority institutions, including Aligarh Muslim University, over unfounded allegations
NEW DELHI – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including the party’s top brass, have been indulging in a vilification campaign against Muslims in the wake of deadly bomb blast that shook the national capital on November 10. Several leaders have issued statements demonising the entire community and launched an Islamophobic campaign.
Continuing this tirade, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Raghuraj Singh made unsubstantiated claims that individuals arrested in terror cases were connected to mosques or madrasas, and that “educated Muslims become bigger terrorists”.
Critics described his comments as unverified, inflammatory, and damaging to social harmony. Singh also referenced Osama bin Laden’s education to generalise about Muslims, a comparison experts call misleading and factually incorrect. He even suggested shutting down minority institutions, including Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), over unfounded allegations.
No official agency has linked AMU to extremist activity, and community leaders condemned Singh’s statements as a divisive tactic aimed at polarising the society.
A two-time minister and former BJP district president, Singh comes from a political family in Gabhana. His repeated remarks continue to spark debate about rhetoric targeting minorities at a time when community relations require careful, evidence-based dialogue.
Singh’s comments drew quiet but notable concern among academics, who emphasised that AMU has produced judges, scientists, civil servants, and scholars over more than a century. Minority leaders pointed out that sweeping accusations against educational institutions risk alienating students and citizens who contribute significantly to the country’s academic and professional landscape.
Strongly claiming that “minority educational institutions are unnecessary,” Singh asserted that they commit excesses under special status. However, civil society groups countered that such institutions operate under constitutional protections designed to preserve cultural and linguistic diversity.
The Uttar Pradesh minister also targeted former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, demanding capital punishment for his alleged support to terrorism. Legal experts noted that such conclusions are the domain of courts, not politicians.
On the international front and extending his Islamophobic mindset, Singh criticised New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani as well, accusing him of promoting religious conversion—again without citing any evidence.
Minister Singh is notorious for making provocative remarks, having previously stated that madrasas are “training centres for terrorists” and vowed to shut them down “if given a chance.” He also demanded a nationwide burqa ban, claiming it aids infiltrators an argument disputed by security analysts, who say that attire-based profiling has no proven counterterrorism value.
