One cannot force any religion on anybody, underlined BJP leader Madhavi Latha after a row erupted over a teacher allegedly assigned Islamic religious practices as homework to a Hindu student in Hyderabad.
The parents of a Class 2 Hindu student alleged that their six-year-old son returned home Wednesday with a homework diary containing instructions to read the "1st and 2nd Kalma" and "Fateh."
'Kalma' is the Islamic declaration of faith and testimony, while 'Surah Fatiha' is the first chapter of the Holy Quran.
"Should those Hindu students always study in fear? My sole question today to Telangana government is what legal action would you want to take on the school for not committing to the constitutional rules and regulations? We all know under fundamental rights that you cannot force any religion on anybody. That was second class kid," Madhavi Latha, who was detained at Hyderabad airport and not allowed to visit the parents of the student, said.
The teacher was sacked over the issue, an official of the school management said on Thursday.
"Is teacher being rusticated the solution? Is that the solution? Are we being pacified? What's the solution? Just because Hindus trust and go to a school, an Islamic established school. The Hindus there have welcomed an Islamic school. They trusted it. Now what about their trust? If there is no support from the government or from the law that these students can happily study because education is everybody's right," Latha, in a video interview to NDTV, said.
The parents gave a statement to police that they are satisfied with the action taken against the teacher and the issue has been resolved. They have not submitted any complaint to the police and no legal action has been taken so far, the police said.
"What is very important is the land should follow the constitution. The land should ensure that these institutions bloody well follow. Now, I would ask the same teacher. Now, I will ask the same school. Now, you start reading Bhagavad Gita. Will they keep quiet? So, what is the solution? This is not the solution, right? The solution is a Hindu kid getting their right? Can't Hindu children go to their schools and happily study and come out without any fear? No Muslim kid is forced. So, it's an institutional issue," Latha, who unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, said.
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) took strong exception to the instructions given as part of the academic activity by the school teacher and demanded action against the institution.
