Haji Haider Azam of the BJP

MUMBAI: He has performed Haj four times, the last one last month. He attended RSS’s Dussehra rally recently in Sangh uniform—khaki pants and a white shirt -- and wielding a lathi . But though the Sangh Parivar may view madrassas with suspicion, Haji Haider Azam, BJP city vice-president and chairman of Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation, has adopted six students at a madrassa in Malad. These students cleared their SSC exams this year.

At a felicitation function at Malad-based Noor Meher Charitable Trust’s Madrassa Jamia Tajwidul Quran and Noor Meher School last Friday, Azam received applause when he announced, “I am adopting these six students who are hafiz and have passed SSC exams. We will fund their education.” A hafiz is one who has memorized the Quran. A condition for admission to this madrassa and school is that every student has to become a hafiz and also sit for SSC exams.

Syed Ali, who runs the madrassa, said, “This is our sixth batch. So far 42 students have cleared SSC. MLA Aslam Shaikh adopted one student in the first batch, but this is the first time someone has adopted all six students in a batch.”

Azam said he would find a way to get scholarships for the six students. Asked about his photo in RSS attire which went viral, he said, “Before the Dussehra rally, some RSS functionaries sent me an invitation. They offered me the attire. I went there just for the function. I have not joined RSS.”

