MP school punishes students for chanting 'Bharat Mata ki jai', bandh ensues

INDORE: Markets remained closed in Namli town in Ratlam district on Monday after right-wing organisations called a bandh accusing a convent school of punishing a group of students for raising slogans – Bharat Mata Ki jai – during a morning assembly.
Bajrang Dal activists submitted a memorandum to sub-divisional officer Neha Malviya alleging that around 30 students of St Joseph Convent School on Palduna Road were also barred from appearing in pre-board examinations after they raised the slogan after the national anthem was played on January 12.
The school authorities told administrative and police officials that as part of disciplinary measure, the children were punished for ‘making fun of the situation’ and not for raising slogans hailing the motherland.
The children were made to sit in the ground for two hours and not allowed to appear in the pre-board examinations. They will be allowed to take the test in next 4-5 days, the school administration said.
Namli police station in-charge RC Kohli told TOI that the traders voluntarily shut their shops following the bandh call over the school incident.
“The bandh was peaceful and no untoward incident took place,” he said adding the police were waiting for the SDO to conclude with a probe on the complaint, before any action was taken.
SDO Neha Malviya said, “I am not in a position to comment on the complaint. No student has approached me yet. Only the protesters have given me a memorandum.”
The school and the protesters gave contradictory statements over the incident.
The school administration claimed it was a disciplinary action. Thus, the district education officer has been asked to probe the matter.
The DEO has formed a committee and will be recording statements of the students, school and the complainants on Tuesday, Malviya said.