2 Rajasthan school teachers suspended over 'love jihad' charge; probe ordered
Another teacher is also facing an investigation in this regard, Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar said.
The Rajasthan government has suspended two school teachers for their alleged involvement in religious conversion and ties to banned terror outfits. The orders to suspend the school teachers were issued on Thursday night following directions from the education minister.
The teachers, identified as Mirza Mujahid and Firoz Khan, were posted at a government-run school in Kota's Sangod block.
Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar said that another teacher is also facing an investigation in this case.
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The probe stems from allegations contained in the memorandum from Sarva Hindu Samaj, alleging ongoing activities related to religious conversion and "love jihad" – a conspiracy theory that Muslim men are luring Hindu women in a bid to convert them to Islam and ultimately gain demographic domination – since 2019.
It was also alleged that the three teachers had connections with proscribed outfits and that they had links to Pakistani groups.
The memorandum also stated that an FIR had previously been registered in this regard at Sangod police station, but no action was taken. It further claimed that a Hindu girl who was named as Muslim in the school record was abducted by Muslim youths and was yet to be traced.
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In a video statement released on Friday, the state education minister said that strict action has been initiated against three teachers in a government senior secondary school at Khajuri Odpur village in Sangod.
"In the Khajoori village of Sangod panchayat samiti in Kota district, the religion of a girl in senior secondary school was mentioned as 'Islam' in the transfer certificate of a girl despite her being a Hindu. A conspiracy of religious conversion and 'love jihad' is happening there, Hindu girls are being forced to offer namaz - this has come to our notice," Dilawar said.
To be sure, the Union home ministry informed the Parliament in 2020 that the term ‘Love Jihad’ is not defined under the extant laws.
He further said that if the teachers are found to be involved in these acts, the three of them will be terminated from the job.
"As soon as this was brought to my notice, I decided to take strict action against three teachers. In this context, I suspended two teachers - Firoz Khan and Mirza Mujahideen. Further action is being taken against one Shabana. All three of them have been sent to Bikaner. I will take strict action against them after a detailed investigation. If needed, I will expel them," the minister added.
