Ghulam Muhammad Vastanvi

Who is Ghulam Muhammad Vastanvi?

Ghulam Ahmed Vastanvi was the newly elected Vice Chancellor of Deoband Seminary who became a centre of controversy in early 2011 after his comments regarding development's positive impact on Muslims in Gujrat, India, were interpreted as praise for Narendra Modi, the state's Chief Minister. Narendra Modi has been accused of complicity in the 2002 Gujarat violence which affected many Muslims in the region. Vastanvi was also photographed distributing wrapped gifts to students in Maharashtra, which his opponents alleged were statues of Hindu gods and goddess. Students from Deoband college staged a sit-in demanding his immediate resignation, which Vastanvi gave on 25th Jan 2011 at Deoband.

On July 24, 2011, Vastanvi was asked to step down from his post amidst internal politics. Out of 14 votes cast to decide his fate, only 5 voted in favor of him staying on. One of the main reasons for his ouster was he not being from the state of Uttar Pradesh, which all his predecessors were.