Deoband (UP), July 24: Darul Uloom Deoband's Vice-Chancellor Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi was today sacked for his comments praising Narendra Modi which had raised hackles of the conservatives soon after the reformist theologian took over the reins of the prominent seminary in January.
 "Maulana Vastanvi has been removed from the post of Vice-Chancellor by Majlis-e-Shoora (governing council) of the seminary," said Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, who was appointed as Acting Vice-Chancellor during an emergent meeting of the Shoora on February 23 that had spliced the powers of Vastanvi after the controversy erupted.
 As per the decision taken by the Shoora earlier, Nomani, who is in his 60s, will be the new chief of the 145-year-old Islamic seminary, the country's largest.
 A vote on the ouster of 60-year-old Vastanvi, who is an MBA with a Facebook page in his name, was held in a stormy meeting of the council.
 The report of the 3-member inquiry committee on Vastanvi, which was constituted in February, was submitted at the meeting of the Council. While opposing the report, Vastanvi demanded setting up of a new panel, but his plea was turned down by the Shoora.
 Crying foul, Vastanvi, who hails from Gujarat, said he was a victim of conspiracy and injustice has been done to him.
 "This is injustice and a conspiracy against me," Vastanvi said and alleged that the report was incomplete and he was removed from the post for opposing it.
 Nomani said that there were differences among the 14 Shoora members present at the meeting out of the 18. One of the members walked out before the voting while Vastanvi did not cast his ballot. He received four votes in favour and eight against.
 "Now, I am the vice-chancellor of the seminary," Nomani said.
 Vastanvi was elected Vice Chancellor on January 10 following the death of his predecessor Maulana Marghoobur Rahman. Maulana had triggered a controversy soon after his appointment with his remarks praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rule and his development policy.
 Vastanvi had reportedly said that Muslims should forget the communal riots of 2002 and move on and that the community did not face discrimination in Gujarat.
 Reacting to the development, the BJP said it was disappointment for all "secular forces".
 "Removal of Vastanvi is a great disappointment for all secular forces. Though this is an internal matter of an organisation, it assumes serious connotations as the action taken is in the backdrop of the issue of development in Gujarat," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in Delhi.
 The sacked vice-chancellor, who was born in Vastan village of south Gujarat and educated in a madrassa near Surat, said though injustice has been done to him, he will neither move court nor protest against the decision. Vastanvi said he will continue to a member of the Shoora. However, his supporters said they would press him to challenge the decision in the highest court.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST