Darul Uloom Deoband's Vice Chancellor Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi was today sacked for his comments praising Narendra Modi which had raised hackles of the conservatives soon after the reformist theologian took over the reins of the prominent Islamic seminary in January.

"Maulana Vastanvi has been removed from the post of vice chancellor by Majlis-e-Shoora (governing council) of the seminary," said Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, who was appointed as acting vice chancellor during an emergent meeting of the Shoora on February 23 that had spliced the powers of Vastanvi after the controversy erupted.

As per the decision taken by the Shoora earlier, Nomani, who is in his 60s, will be the new chief of the 145-year-old Islamic seminary, the country's largest.

A vote on the ouster of 60-year-old Vastanvi, who is an MBA with a Facebook page in his name, was held in a stormy meeting of the council.

The report of the 3-member inquiry committee on Vastanvi, which was constituted in February, was submitted at the meeting of the Council. While opposing the report, Vastanvi demanded setting up of a new panel, but his plea was turned down by the Shoora.

Crying foul, Vastanvi, who hails from Gujarat, said he was a victim of conspiracy and injustice has been done to him.

"This is injustice and a conspiracy against me," Vastanvi said and alleged that the report was incomplete and he was removed from the post for opposing it.

Nomani said that there were differences among the 14 Shoora members present at the meeting out of the 18. One of the members walked out before the voting while Vastanvi did not cast his ballot. He received four votes in favour and eight against.

"Now, I am the vice-chancellor of the seminary," Nomani said.

Vastanvi was elected Vice Chancellor on January 10 following the death of his predecessor Maulana Marghoobur Rahman.

The moderate Maulana had triggered a controversy soon after his appointment with his remarks praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rule and his development policy.

Vastanvi had reportedly said that Muslims should forget the communal riots of 2002 and move on and that the community did not face discrimination in Gujarat.

Reacting to the development, the BJP said it was disappointment for all "secular forces".

"Removal of Vastanvi is a great disappointment for all secular forces. Though this is an internal matter of an organisation, it assumes serious connotations as the action taken is in the backdrop of the issue of development in Gujarat," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in Delhi.

Meanwhile, a senior Deoband staff said that the ousted VC's supporters shouted slogans 'Vastanvi Jindabad' in his favour while the group opposing him distributed sweets after he was removed.

A member of the inquiry panel, Mufti Manjoor Ahmed, said Vastanvi was removed after he refused to step down.

"On Friday night, the Shoora requested Vastanvi to step down as per the majority's wish, but he said that he would decide on this in morning. In the next Shoora meeting again Vastanvi was asked to resign but he stayed firm," Ahmed said.

"It is totally a wrong decision," Vastanvi alleged, adding while a detailed description of allegations against him had been made in the report, it was mum on the issue of uproar by the students after his appointment and people responsible for that.

The sacked vice-chancellor, who was born in Vastan village of south Gujarat and educated in a madrassa near Surat, said though injustice has been done to him, he will neither move court nor protest against the decision. Vastanvi said he will continue to a member of the Shoora. However, his supporters said they would press him to challenge the decision in the highest court.