In the wake of objections by a Muslim body, the Uttar Pradesh government late Friday night revoked its decision to bar men having two or move wives from appointment as Urdu teachers. The state government said the appointments would be made as per the rules and regulation in the past and there will be no change.

“While signing the government order today, I saw that there is no such clause in it and, therefore, we have issued a clarification in this regard,” Minister for Basic Education Ahmed Hasan said. “We are not able to understand how such a thing has surfaced… it is a wrong propaganda against the government,” he claimed.

According to a recent government order, candidates applying for the post must reveal their marital status and all those with two living wives would not be eligible. Women candidates married to a man with two surviving have also been barred from applying.

The notice for appointment of 3,500 Urdu teachers in primary schools was issued recently. The Muslim Personal Law Board had strongly opposed it, saying the order was violative of Islamic law and rights of Muslims.

“Government cannot impose such conditions when it comes to recruitment of staff. There is a provision for four marriages in Islam, even though just about one per cent of Muslim men have two wives. Even so, such conditions should not become part of the job application process,” Imam of Lucknow’s Eidgah Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali had said.

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