Denying charges that Madarasas were terror hubs, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind General Secretary Maulana Hakimuddin Qasmi has said that Darul Uloom or any Madarasa in the country never harboured terror activities.
    
"Darul Uloom Deoband was the first Madarasa in the country to take part in the freedom struggle. How can it
harbour terrorists? Those who have queries about acitivities of Madarasa can visit it during any hour of the day," he said.
    
Without naming Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray [Images], Qasmi said, "The leader of a particular party openly invites to form
suicide squads and brand Darul Uloom Deoband as bastion of terrorism but the state has failed to take any action against him."
    
Qasmi was speaking at a press conference to announce one-day conference of Jamiat Ulama-i-Maharashtra to be held at Azad Maidan here on February 14.
    
The conference would denounce terrorism and raise various issues being faced by Muslims in the state, he said.
    
Other core issues to be discussed at the conference would relate to the implementation of Srikrishna and Sachchar Commission reports, protection of Wakf properties, financial assistance to Urdu schools in Maharashtra and compensation to riots victims etc, he added.
    
"It is a sorry state that the same secular party is ruling in Maharashtra and the Centre but those found guilty in Srikrishna Commission, formed to probe December 1992 Mumbai [Images] riots, have not been punished yet," Qasmi said.
    
The issue of Palestine and Israel would also be raised during the conference, he said.