Telangana school attacked over saffron clothing row; 2 FIRs lodged

“The exams were going on. After the exam, the principal told the students to come in uniform and that if they wanted to wear saffron clothes, they had to get permission. That triggered the parents. Previously also there were some complaints against the principal and it was there in the parents’ mind. It was a Tuesday and there was a temple nearby and all this escalated and led to vandalism,” Mancherial Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ashok Kumar told indianexpress.com.

(Photo courtesy: St Mother Teresa English Medium School)

According to the police, the students were observing ‘Hanuman deeksha’, a penance for 41 days.

Two FIRs have been registered by Dandepally police based on complaints from the students’ parents as well as the school administration. The police are examining the videos and identifying the accused.

In the police complaint, one of the student’s parents said that his son and two of his classmates studying in Class 4 were not allowed into school for wearing a ‘Hanuman Mala deeksha’ dress. He alleged that the school’s correspondent and principal intentionally insulted their religious sentiments and were promoting enmity and disturbing public tranquillity between religions.

The school administration in their complaint named four suspects and others as having trespassed into the school, prepared to wrongfully restrain the school correspondent, physically assaulted him and damaged windows of the classrooms. They said a statue of Mother Teresa and gates were damaged and claimed a loss of property worth Rs 30,000.

(Photo courtesy: St Mother Teresa English Medium School)

When contacted, the school correspondent, Father Jaimon Joseph, a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) which runs the school, said that students were allowed to write the exam on Monday. “It was a miscommunication and false news was spread on social media leading to over 500 people reaching the school on Tuesday morning. The attack on the school continued for nearly four hours and we suspect it was pre-planned,” he told indianexpress.com. “The principal told students on Monday afternoon that they have to get permission to arrive in saffron clothes. Had their parents even telephoned us, we would have granted the permission. On Tuesday morning, one of the students still came in saffron clothes and we did not stop the student. By then, a huge mob came to school and attacked us,” he added.

(Photo courtesy: St Mother Teresa English Medium School)

The police have booked the school management under sections 153a (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The vandals have been booked under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt),427 (mischief causing damage), 452 (trespass to house with the motive to hurt someone), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 143 (unlawful assembly) read with 149 (common object).