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Student, teacher allegedly beaten up for raising ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans in Madhya Pradesh
According to the complainant, two groups of students got into a fight after one student pointed out that a few students were not chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” after national anthem.
A student and a teacher were allegedly beaten up over a dispute regarding chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai'' at a private school in Barod town of Madhya Pradesh's Agar Malwa district, about 175 km from state capital of Bhopal, the police said on Wednesday. A case was registered against around 20 people.
According to a police official, after the morning prayer at the school, students sing the national anthem and end it with the chant "Bharat Mata Ki Jai". However, there was an argument between two groups of students over raising the slogan in the school. Later, after leaving the school premises, some of them allegedly thrashed the boys on the other side.
Students from various communities, including Hindu and Muslim, study in the school, Agar Malwa's Superintendent of Police Rakesh Sagar told PTI over phone. However, when a few Muslim children were not chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", Class 12 student Bharat Singh Rajput (19) objected to it, the police said.
Rajput later complained to police that he and a teacher were intercepted by the boys when they were returning home after school on Tuesday, and allegedly assaulted. He stated that the accused abused him and others, saying who were they to make them raise the slogan and hit them with sticks. When the teacher started recording the incident on his mobile phone, the accused hit him too and broke his phone, the complainant alleged.
Meanwhile, SP Rakesh Sagar said, “It is more an issue of proper counselling and guidance than a legal offence as all those involved are students. The school teachers and principal should impart moral lessons to students."
“A case under Indian Penal Code sections for assault and rioting, and provisions of the SC-ST Act has been registered following a complaint over the dispute," he said.
Initially, the police booked nine people and eight to ten other unidentified persons, another official said. Some people were detained for questioning and further legal steps will be taken following an investigation into the case, the police said.
