Madrasah in Uttar Pradesh demolished over religious conversion allegations against Hindu youth

A madrasah in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh is facing large-scale bulldozer demolition action following allegations of religious conversion of Hindu youth. The Darul Uloom Rahimiya madrasah, located in the Ratanpuri police station area, has been under demolition for the past six days under police supervision.

The controversy began when Mahant Swami Yashveer Ji Maharaj of Yog Sadhana Ashram accused the madrasah of converting Hindu boys and girls to Islam. Based on his complaint, police registered a case under sections 352 and 351(2) of the BNS and sections 3/5(2) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2021 against the madrasah's operator Maulana Hifzur Rahman Ansari and his two sons, Zubair Ansari and Junaid Ansari. Both sons have already been arrested and sent to jail in connection with the case.

The madrasah also faced allegations of illegal construction on public gram sabha land. Following an investigation and directives from senior officials, authorities launched the demolition drive. According to reports, the madrasah administration itself has been carrying out the bulldozer demolition of the illegal structures over the past six days under police supervision.

Swami Yashveer Ji Maharaj, who raised the conversion allegations, posted a video on social media praising the administration's action. In his viral video, he thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and administrative officials for the demolition drive. He insisted that all illegal encroachments made by the madrasah should be completely razed to the ground, expressing satisfaction with the action taken so far against what he described as a center of religious conversion.