[Watch] Police Book Case Against Telangana School After Students Questioned Over Saffron Attire; Not The First Incident

New Delhi: The Mancherial district police have booked a case against a school correspondent and principal for allegedly objecting to some students coming to the institution wearing “Hanuman Deeksha dress” in Kannepalli village about 250 km from Hyderabad, news agency PTI reported.

According to Dandepally police, based on a complaint by the parents of the students, a case under sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion or race) and 295 (A) (insulting religious feelings) was booked against the school officials on Tuesday.

The Blessed Mother Teresa High School management told PTI on Wednesday that two days ago, the principal asked the students to bring their parents after noticing that they were wearing saffron attire instead of a uniform.

Later, a group of people demanded an apology from the school management and some angry protestors allegedly vandalised the school windows on Tuesday, according to video footage given by the school correspondent.

Some men surrounded principal Joseph, beat him up and forcibly applied tilak on his forehead, according to reports, NDTV reported.

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In a similar incident in March  last year, a Hindu student who took Anjaneya Deeksha was not allowed to attend school wearing his Deeksha attire at St Paul’s School in Telangana’s Adilabad. He was sent back home as the school administration did not allow him to attend classes as he was wearing his mandatory saffron attire and mala, according to an OpIndia report. When other devotees of Lord Hanuman who had taken Anjaneya Deeksha learned about the incident, they staged a protest against St. Paul’s School.

The protesting Hindus said that the actions of the school hurt the sentiments of the Hindus. Later, the school principal, a nun, reportedly apologised and also assured the protestors that such an incident would not happen again. After receiving assurance from the school principal, the student was allowed to attend school in his Deeksha attire and the protest was called off.