A school in Mumbai's Matunga has landed into trouble for inviting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to talk to its students and teachers about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), reported The Indian Express.
Maharashtra's School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad reportedly described the incident as a “shameless attempt to politically influence young and innocent minds,” and ordered an investigation into the matter on Saturday, 11 January.
Shree Dayanand Balak, Balika Vidyalaya, run by the Arya Samaj, had organised a programme on a public ground next to the school campus on Friday, during which local BJP leaders had interacted with the students to “spread awareness” and “correct misinformation” about CAA, according to report.
The programme was reportedly organised by Sumita Singh, a leader of the Uttar Bharatiya Morcha and a trustee of the school.
“Students were given information about CAA... (They) were given postcards pre-addressed to the PM and were encouraged to post them, after writing what they feel about CAA.”Sumita Singh to Hindustan Times
The BJP leaders reportedly slammed those protesting against CAA as “traitors” and urged those present to save the nation from them.
The school education minister said that an explanation will be sought from the school for permitting such an activity and “action will be initiated if the school management itself is found to have indulged in politicisation.”
She added that directives will be issued to other schools as well, the report added.
‘Politicisation Mustn’t be Tolerated’
Leaders of the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi expressed outrage over the initiative.
“To campaign about an Act in schools is ridiculous. What is the need for such political campaigning justification, if there is no ill intent? Politicisation of schools mustn’t be tolerated,” Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray wrote on Twitter.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant also took to Twitter demanding “strong action against all those BJP Maharashtra workers who tried to pervert the minds of school students.”
(With inputs from The Indian Express and Hindustan Times)
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