Uttarakhand Govt seals 13 ‘illegal’ madrassas in Haldwani, crackdown to continue

In a major enforcement drive, the Nainital district administration sealed 13 unregistered madrassas in Haldwani’s Banphoolpura area on Sunday. The action comes as part of an ongoing statewide crackdown on illegal religious and educational institutions, following strict directives from Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Authorities said a previous survey had identified 18 madrassas operating without registration with the state madrassa board or other concerned authorities. Of these, 13 were sealed on Sunday, with operations expected to continue on Monday. The city administration deployed a heavy police force to the area to maintain law and order and prevent any recurrence of last year’s violent incidents.

Banphoolpura was the site of deadly clashes in February last year during a similar anti-encroachment drive to demolish an illegal madrassa. That incident left at least six people dead and over 100 injured. Keeping this in mind, security was heightened, and media access to the sealed sites was restricted to avoid any provocation.

City Magistrate A.P. Vajpayee stated that the sealing operation was conducted in two shifts—between 11 am and 2 pm, and again from 3 pm to 6 pm. He confirmed that Sunday’s operation was peaceful and without incident. "Considering the violence last year, there was heavy police presence to ensure the action went smoothly," he said.

Additional District Magistrate Vivek Kumar Roy cited several issues as the basis for sealing the madrassas. These included lack of registration, failure to present operational permits, and reports of “serious irregularities.” Some of the institutions were functioning without proper sanitation, adequate seating, or basic security infrastructure such as CCTV. Others were allegedly operating within mosque premises, violating state regulations.

Officials revealed that over 140 illegal madrassas have already faced action across Uttarakhand. In parallel efforts, the government has removed over 560 illegal mazars and reclaimed nearly 6,000 acres of encroached government land. The administration maintains that these enforcement actions are aimed at safeguarding student welfare and ensuring all educational institutions meet required legal and safety standards. Chief Minister Dhami has reiterated that the crackdown will continue until the state is free of encroachments and unregulated entities.