Seven of the eight teachers in the school are Hindus; it has 235 students, with 89 Muslims and the rest Hindus
MATHURA – The Muslim headmaster of a school in the Uttar Pradesh city of Mathura, who was suspended within hours of facing allegations by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader that he forced students to offer namaaz on the school premises, claims action was taken against him without a verification or inquiry being carried out.
Headmaster Jaan Mohammad was also alleged to have failed to make students sing the National Anthem.
However, independent investigations reported by noted fact-checker Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair, said on Tuesday that villagers and students came out in support of headmaster Jan Mohammad. The allegations made by BJP’s Durgesh Pradhan were deemed false.
The school has a total staff strength of eight, out of which seven belong to the Hindu community. The fact-checker claims that the Hindu teachers denied that the headmaster forced students to offer namaaz or that he failed to have the National Anthem being sung on the premises.
The school has 235 students, with 89 Muslims and the rest Hindus.
Jan Mohammad denies the allegations, stating he has been working at the school since 2007 with no previous complaints.
A video attached by Zubair shows students asserting that they are made to sing the National Anthem every day. The report said investigations found no evidence of the charges levelled against the headmaster.
Basic Education Officer Ratan Kirti has formed a two-member committee to investigate the matter, and Mohammad’s suspension will be reviewed based on the committee’s report.
The allegations against the headmaster have sparked controversy, with some accusing the BJP leader of spreading hatred against a particular community making false claims. There is also a debate about fairness and the treatment of minority educators.
