'I am still the Vice Chancellor of Dar-ul-Uloom', claims Maulana Vastanvi

Vadodra, Jan 27 (ANI): Maulana Gulam Mohammad Vastanvi, who stirred a controversy with his remarks on Gujarat, on Thursday said he has not resigned as Vice Chancellor of Dar-ul-Uloom, and reiterated that he is still the head of the varsity.

Talking to reporters here, Vastanvi said: "Two days ago, a few students at the seminary created a ruckus against me, which hurt me a lot because if my future students do not want to study under my guidance or if some mishap were to happen in future, the whole responsibility would be mine. That is when I decided I must resign from my position at the seminary. However, I have not quit at present. I am still the Vice Chancellor of the Darul-uloom." A meeting of the Majlis-e-Soora (governing council) will be held on February 23, in which scholars from all over the country will come. I will present my case and they will decide on whether I should continue or not," he said.

"I still continue to be vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom till February 23," he added.

Vastanvi, who hails from Surat and was elected Vice-Chancellor on January 10, has been facing protests from students at the seminary after he had said that Muslims should forget the communal pogrom of 2002 and move on and that the community did not face discrimination in Modi's State at present.

The cleric however is maintaining that he hasn't come under pressure to quit and moreover the issue of Gujarat Chief Minister has nothing to do with his resignation.

"Narendra Modi has nothing to do with my resignation. I didn't want unnecessary tension in the Daloom because of me. I have not come under any pressure to quit," said Vastanvi. (ANI)