The verification drive launched by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government has uncovered over 500 illegal madrasas operating across Uttarakhand, with 11 of them concentrated just 10-12 km from the Nepal border in Khatima. The existence of these unregistered madrasas, which belong to the Muslim Barelvi sect, has raised serious security concerns, especially considering prior intelligence warnings about the unchecked mushrooming of madrasas and mosques in border areas.
The intelligence agencies had earlier warned both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments about the rapid and unchecked construction of madrasas and mosques along the Nepal border. However, despite these alerts, the state government failed to act, allowing the proliferation of illegal religious institutions in a geopolitically sensitive region.
It has now come to light that all 11 illegal madrasas near the Nepal border were established after the formation of Uttarakhand state in 2000. These include:
- Madrasa Rehmania Dawate (2021)
- Madrasa Faizle Siddiq (2021)
- Madrasa Shan-e-Mustafa (2018)
- Madrasa Gulshan Baghdadi Faizani Fatima (2012)
- Madrasa Darul Uloom Faizane Mustafa (2005)
- Madrasa Garib Nawaz (2014)
- Madrasa Raza Lohia Head (2016)
- Madrasa Anware Mustafa Charubeta (2010)
- Madrasa Taleemul Quran (2019)
- Madrasa Madina Tul Uloom (2010)
- Madrasa Darul Uloom Qadriya Musafalia (2002)
Shockingly, all these madrasas are completely unregistered and continue to operate without any oversight, regulation, or government accountability.
During the tenure of the Congress government in Uttarakhand, the names of these illegal madrasas were linked to the scholarship scam involving madrasa students. Despite evidence of corruption and misuse of funds, no action was taken against these institutions, allowing them to continue functioning unchecked.
While registered madrasas do exist in Khatima—such as Madrasa Jamia Sadia, Madrasa Gausia, and Madrasa Fatima Jahara—the illegal ones deliberately avoid registration to circumvent mandatory financial audits and government scrutiny. Illegal madrasa operators shun registration to escape financial audits, as they are funded through local donations, foreign sources, and other unverified means. Over time, complaints of massive corruption have surfaced, but authorities have failed to crack down effectively.
Even more alarming, several of these madrasas lack proper land ownership documents or have been built on encroached government land. Despite multiple warnings and concerns about illegal religious institutions sprouting in border towns, no strict action had been taken—until now.
129 illegal madrasas in Udham Singh Nagar alone
The scale of the issue is massive, with 129 unregistered madrasas operating in Udham Singh Nagar district alone, most of them belonging to the Barelvi Muslim community. The Dehradun district administration has taken steps by sealing 16 illegal madrasas, prompting backlash from the Muslim Seva Sangathan, which has accused the government of targeting religious institutions during Ramzan.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has made it clear that the verification of madrasas is complete, and now the government will not tolerate illegal constructions. He issued a stern warning: “If something is wrong, people should shut it down themselves. If illegal constructions are not removed voluntarily, the government will take strict action.”
