Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said it has directed the School Education Department to accommodate students of Siraj-ul-Uloom in nearby institutions, weeks after the school-cum-college was shut under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Talking to reporters in Shopian, Education Minister Sakina Itoo said the elected government had no role in the institute’s closure, which was ordered by the Home Department.
“Siraj-ul-Uloom was closed by the Home Department. The elected government did not issue any order in this regard. However, I have directed the Education Department to adjust students wherever possible,” she said.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Home Department functions under the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory.
Located in Hillow village of Shopian district, the institute had over 800 students enrolled from primary classes to the undergraduate level. The closure order was issued by Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg, citing alleged links with the banned organisation Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir. The institution’s chairman, Muhammad Shafi Lone, has denied any such association.
The move had triggered protests in Shopian last week, with students and parents gathering outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office seeking the reopening of the institute. According to parents, the district administration assured them that arrangements would be made to relocate students to other schools.
