Lucknow, July 3: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is reportedly planning to introduce a formal dress code in madrassas. Under the 'madrassa modernisation' plan, the State Minority Affairs Ministry is mulling over replacing kurta pyjama with pant shirts.

The move comes days after BJP leader Mohsin Raza, who heads the Ministry of Minority Affairs, said the government would be taking concrete steps towards revamping the quality of education imparted to Muslim children in the madrassas.

The Opposition has, however, marked its dissent calling it "unnecessary intervention". Samajwadi Party spokesperson Naved Siddiqui said it is another "ploy" by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to vitiate the state of communal harmony.

"They want to distract all of us from the real issues. What would they achieve by preventing our children from wearing kurta pyjama," he questioned, further asking why the ruling BJP is silent on the inadequate remunerative prices being offered to the farmers and the lack of jobs to the educated youths.

However, UP Shia Waqf Board chief Waseem Rizvi came in support of the government's plan to ban kurta pyjama in the Muslim learning institutes. "The time has come for the minorities to excel in academics and leave behind orthodoxy. What is the need to wear 'uncha pyjamas'? Instead, the madrassas should be run like any other public or private school," he said while speaking to CNN News 18.

Rizvi further advocate stern steps to reverse "the fundamentalist atmosphere" in the madrassas, saying, "They neither impart modern education, nor do they teach the true essence of Islam."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2018 03:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).