Ban Vastanvi in Gujarat: BJP

Life has taken a full circle for the  former Vice-Chancellor of Darul Uloom, Deoband Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi. Having lost his job at the conservative Islamic seminary for asking the community to look beyond the post-Godhara riots in Gujarat, Vastanvi on Tuesday faced with a demand by the local unit of BJP for being banned from entering the western state.

Gujarat BJP's media cell convenor, according to agency reports, Jagdish Bhavsar said, “The statements made by Vastanvi, during a Congress party minority cell programme in Surat, are provocative and harmful to the state's peaceful atmosphere. We have complained to the Election Commission to bar Vastanvi from entering Gujarat.'

Addressing a public rally organised by the minority cell of Congress at Tarkeshwar in Mandvi taluka of Surat district on Monday, Vastanvi had said it was a crime to praise a “zalim” (tyrant) and that he never praised Modi. Vastanvi was removed from the post of vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom for praising Modi's development policy in January 2011.