In the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho MP and BJP President VD Sharma made a significant statement regarding an unauthorized madrasa operating in Old Panna's Bidi Colony. He accused the madrasa of illegal activities, calling for a thorough investigation and stern action. The issue gained momentum when local media arrived, leading to a confrontation where journalists were surrounded by locals associated with the madrasa.
VD Sharma, a BJP MP, stated, "A brother from a minority community informed me of an illegal madrasa operating in Panna. Imagine, if in a small town like Panna, thugs are building illegal properties under the guise of Wakf, then how many such properties could there be across the country? An investigation must be carried out. This country's Prime Ministers are Narendra Modi and Home Minister is Amit Shah. The country will be run constitutionally."
Local citizens and some aware members of the minority community have made grave allegations against the madrasa's operator, Tantric Abdul Raouf alias Hakeem. They claim that Raouf appeared in Panna roughly a decade ago, empty-handed, but has since amassed nearly 5000 square feet of public land into a large madrasa under the pretext of religion and donations.
There are accusations that through the madrasa, Raouf is collecting millions in donations. Locals also assert that several years ago, a child mysteriously died within the madrasa, an incident that has long demanded investigation.
When media attempted to cover the story in Bidi Colony, individuals emerging from the madrasa and about a dozen women surrounded the journalists, loudly prompting them to turn off their cameras and began recording videos of the journalists themselves. During this encounter, efforts to connect with the madrasa’s head, Maulana Tantric Raouf, proved futile as he claimed to be out of town.
Aware citizens of Panna and members of the minority community had previously filed a formal complaint to the collector against the illegitimate activities tied to this madrasa.
Abdul Hamid, District President of Panna Wakf Board, expressed to aajtak, "He is an outsider who arrived about ten years ago in Panna. He brings donations from Mumbai, Chhattisgarh, etc., and engages in illegal collections. Only four children reside in this madrasa, yet it is built on government land. The collector and the esteemed MP have been alerted. Donations reach millions, but only lakhs are reported. They claim losses every year, yet he had nothing upon arrival in Panna. Now, where did the wealth of crores come from? This should be investigated. He came from Gorihar, with education allegedly from UP, which should also be probed.”
Journalist MS Khan commented, "Upon becoming president, Muslim individuals ensnare Panna’s maulvis and mullas, who then assist in creating presidents in the city. This is a running collaboration. The madrasa's complaint was made to the collector and has now caught the attention of the esteemed MP. Sooner or later, it must fall within the legal framework. This madrasa is completely illegitimate. Its committee holds no government registration yet still utilizes letterhead for governance actions. However, no one checks whether the institution is legitimate. We demand lawful action. Those coming from outside orchestrating donation businesses and illegal activities must be confronted. Besides, there’s another illegal girls’ madrasa operating in Katara neighborhood that requires investigation.
When approached, Panna's Collector stated, "Complaint applications for the madrasa have been received, on which investigations and necessary legal actions will be undertaken."
