Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Jul 24 (IANS): Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi Sunday termed as "arbitrary" the decision of the Darul Uloom governing council to remove him as the vice chancellor.

The decision to replace Vastanvi was taken by the powerful Majlis-e-Shuraan, which voted nine to four against the Maulana who had raised the hackles of many for praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's developmental policies.

Vastanvi asked how he could be removed as the decision of a three-member committee that had studied the issue had gone in his favour. The panel gave its report Sunday morning.

"Let me make it loud and clear that I had never promised anybody that I would step down; I was always very very explicit that I would abide by the decision of the three-member committee and the Shoora; what surprises me is that despite the committee granting me a clean-chit, the Shoora has chosen to arbitrarily do away with my services," he told reporters.

He maintained that "the three-member committee's report in in my favour".

Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani was appointed the new vice chancellor of the 145-year-old Darul Uloom Deoband, India's most prestigious and influential Islamic seminary.