MP: Students fined for reciting Hanuman Chalisa; state HM asks to withdraw it

Last week, a group of 20 B-Tech students organised a mass recitation of Hanuman Chalisa in the hostel room and some junior students filed a complaint with the institute’s management

Published on: Jul 8, 2022, 18:51:20 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra came out in support of students of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Sehore, who were asked to pay a fine of ₹5,000 for mass recitation of Hanuman Chalisa in a hostel room.

The incident came to light on Friday after the home minister took cognisance of the matter. (File image)

Last week, a group of 20 B-Tech students organised a mass recitation of Hanuman Chalisa in the hostel room and some junior students filed a complaint with the institute’s management that they were making noises in the hostel.

Later, the institute warned the seven students and asked them to pay a fine of ₹5,000 each.

The incident came to light on Friday after the home minister took cognisance of the matter.

Also Read: Demand for worship at Gyanvapi: Varanasi seer continues fast, followers chant Hanuman Chalisa

The home minister on Friday said, “We have conveyed it to the institute that fine can’t be imposed on the students. If students don’t chant Hanuman Chalisa in India, where will they do so. We have asked the institute; the students can be warned in case of indiscipline.”

Mishra said, “I have asked Sehore district collector to inquire into the matter.”

Sehore district collector CM Thakur said, “The students organised the programme of mass recitation without permission and it disturbed many students, who were busy with their studies. The institute took disciplinary action against the seven students who took the initiative of the mass recitation programme.”

Despite repeated attempts, the management of the institute could not be contacted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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