Criticising the Shaheen Primary and High School, Bidar, over its anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) play, BJP MP, Bhagwanth Khuba, and district in-charge minister, Prabhu Chauhan, have asked the state government to blacklist the school.
After school students staged a play on the CAA and NRC that was claimed to have allegedly disrespected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they were subjected to multiple rounds of interrogation by the police officials.
The widowed mother of a student, who participated in the play and head-teacher who organised the play, were arrested on charges of sedition.
BJP MP from Bidar, Bhagwanth Khuba, said that it was an offence to teach the children to shame the country and its laws, calling the play ‘seditious.’
‘I request that the education department should take action as per the law and this school, which is run like a madrassa, should be banned. The school is disturbing social harmony. If this school is not shut down, then there is no doubt that it will threaten the sovereignty of this country. The education department should blacklist the school and the accused persons should be charged with anti-national activities,’ a statement issued by the MP said.
The MLA of Aurad and Minister of Animal Husbandry and Minority Welfare, Prabhu Chauhan, in an interview, said, ‘What has happened at Shaheen College should not happen again. An enquiry will happen and it will be found who is responsible.’
In response to the Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad’s visit to the school, Chauhan said, ‘That is what I am saying. No pimping will be allowed here. I am capable, I will look after my district. So whatever he does, won’t work here. Our police is doing very good work. Whoever is guilty will be punished. Shaheen college will not be allowed to go scot-free. Whoever writes dirty things, we will not leave them.’
Raising concerns over the frequent visit of the police to school, the Karnataka State Commission for Child Rights have sought a report from the Bidar Superintendent of Police over the questioning of students in Bidar. Police officials led by Bidar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Basaveshwar Hira have visited the school at least five times to question students and staff members about their role in the play staged on January 21.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Bidar district has also issued a notice to police officials regarding their conduct in investigating the case.
Karnataka’s DG and IGP, Praveen Sood, has assured a delegation of lawyers and activists that the police would be sympathetic to the accused in the case.
Meanwhile, the hearing of the case at the sessions court in Bidar district has been postponed to February 11. Until then the mother of the 11-year-old student and the head-teacher of the school’s primary section will continue to be in jail.
