PM’S PROPOSED DIALOGUE WITH 700 MUSLIM WOMEN CANCELLED

The proposed meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 700 Muslim women in Varanasi on September 22 has been cancelled. The development took place after a controversy following an order issued by the district minority welfare department. An order was issued to aided and non-aided madarsas asking them to coordinate the event. The officials at madarsas alleged that they had been instructed to request the Muslim women in their respective areas to attend the event. The programme was cancelled when the madarasa association objected to the order. There is no mention of the event in the official protocol. Secretary of teachers’ association Madaris-e-Arabia Diwan Sahab Jama said, “We are not against the programme. We only objected to the order that teachers of every madarsa should request at least 25 Muslim women each in their respective areas to attend the programme and arrange for transportation to ferry them to the event.” “We are teachers. We are not members of a political party. Why should we go door-to-door and request women to attend the event? We don’t want to be used for any political purpose. The department can’t force us to do so,” he said. “Our duty is to teach the children, not to arrange means of transportation. We respect the PM,” he said. Despite repeated efforts, district social welfare officer Rajesh Kumar Yadav, who holds the additional charge of district minority welfare officer, couldn’t be reached for comments.