- Parents and students protested against casteist slurs by an English teacher at a school in Andhra Pradesh
- Teacher Srinubabu allegedly used derogatory language targeting Dalit students repeatedly
- Students and parents accused headmaster Suresh Bhushan of ignoring complaints about harassment
Parents and students of Yandapalli High School in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada district staged a sit-in protest on Monday, alleging that their English teacher repeatedly used casteist slurs and derogatory language against Dalit students.
​The protest, held in front of the high school in U Kottapalli Mandal, was sparked by allegations that a teacher, identified as Srinubabu, has been consistently humiliating and harassing students from the Dalit community.
Quoting the students, parents reported deeply distressing remarks made by the teacher, including, "You belong to a filthy caste... Do you think SCs are some kind of special people?"
​Students also voiced anguish over the headmaster, Suresh Bhushan, for failing to take appropriate action. "Sir, the HM is calling girl students by insulting and inappropriate names," one student lamented, while others confirmed that they had previously informed their parents about the teacher's behaviour.
​The affected students and parents initially lodged a complaint with headmaster Bhushan regarding Srinubabu's conduct. However, the lack of a proper response from the administration led the community to escalate the matter, culminating in the public demonstration against the alleged institutional indifference and harassment.
​The opposition YSR Congress party expressed its concern over the allegations via a post on social media. The party directly questioned the ruling coalition, demanding immediate accountability, in a post on X.
"Are you bringing caste discrimination even into schools under your government, @ncbn, @naralokesh, @PawanKalyan?"
​District educational authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the steps being taken, but local police were reportedly deployed to the scene to maintain order during the ongoing protest.
