Rumour of 'Illegal Madrasa' Triggers Demolition of School in MP Village

• A partially built school in Dhaba village, Betul district, Madhya Pradesh, was demolished due to unsubstantiated rumours of it being an “illegal madrasa”.
• Local resident Abdul Naeem was constructing the private school, investing Rs 20 lakh, to provide education from nursery to Class 8.
• Despite the Gram Panchayat issuing a No Objection Certificate after initial protest, administrative officials proceeded with the demolition on January 13.
• Naeem had applied to the School Education Department for approval and stated the village has only three Muslim households, making the madrasa allegation baseless.
• District Collector Narendra Suryavanshi defended the action, citing a complaint about unauthorised construction, while activists criticized the officials' overreaction.

Why It Matters: Unverified rumours led to the demolition of a school in MP, sparking criticism and raising questions about due process.