FIR against managing director of school caught in a storm over recital of religious prayers

Kanpur: An FIR was registered against the managing director of a private school here on Tuesday after some parents and right-wing members objected to the recitation of Islamic verses during the morning assembly.

”A case has been registered against Sumeet Makhija, managing director, Florets International School under IPC section 295A (deliberate malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and section 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Seesamau) Nishank Sharma said.

The case was registered following a complaint by a parent Ravi Rajpoot, he said.

Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Surjeet Kumar Singh also visited the school and questioned Makhija on the directions of the district magistrate. The authorities were also instructed to submit the documents regarding the school and its building, Singh said.

The school had on Monday stopped the recitation of religious prayers during the morning assembly after right-wing protests over the inclusion of some Islamic verses in the decade-old practice followed by the institution.

The Florets International School announced a holiday Monday after Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers held a demonstration, claiming that students were being compelled to recite the ‘Kalma Tayyab’.

“We had announced a holiday on Monday after VHP and BJP workers held a demonstration, claiming that students were being compelled to recite the Kalma. It has also been decided to keep the school close for two more days on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Makhija told PTI over phone.

The school management had also maintained that the Gayatri Mantra and the Gurbani are also recited during the morning assembly as part of its ‘Sarva Dharma Samman’ (all religions are equal) philosophy.

The controversy erupted after a parent tweeted that students at the two-decade old institution were being “compelled” to recite the ‘Kalima Tayyab’.