Hyderabad, April 14 -- At least 170 madrasas have been sealed across Uttarakhand in recent days, with state officials citing a lack of registration with the Madrasa Board or the education department as the reason.

In Haldwani's Muslim-majority Banbhulpura area, a joint team comprising officials from the district administration, municipal corporation, and local police conducted a special inspection on Sunday, April 13. During the drive, seven madrasas were sealed for allegedly operating without valid registration.

According to a press release from chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's office, the crackdown was based on findings from detailed surveys conducted by special government-appointed teams.

Chief Minister Dhami defended the move, ...