Uttar Pradesh: Officials probing ‘expulsion' of minor Muslim student from school over non-veg food

Authorities in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) are probing the expulsion of a seven-year-old Muslim student allegedly by the principal of a private convent school for bringing non-vegetarian food to school.

The incident happened on Sep 4 and a controversy broke out after a purported video of an interaction between the boy’s mother and the school principal went viral on social media, prompting the district inspector of schools at Amroha to order constitution of a three-member committee to investigate the incident.

The boy was assaulted, confined to a room, and eventually expelled from the school, her mother alleged.

“The mother of the boy has lodged a complaint claiming her son was beaten up by the school principal and was termed a religious fundamentalist,” V P Singh, the District Inspector of Schools was quoted as saying.

“She also claimed that the principal told her that he had struck off the boy’s name from the school register and that there was no need to send him to the school in the future. I have ordered a time-bound inquiry and will take action based on the report,” Singh added.

Hours after the incident, a video purportedly showed the principal, Avneesh Sharma, telling the student’s mother that he has already struck him (the student) off the rolls.

Although some parts of the video are not audible, various accounts have quoted Sharma as having said, “We cannot teach children in our school who destroy our temples..”

“Your child says that he wants to convert everyone to Islam by making them eat non-vegetarian food.” the principal was quoted as saying.

The incident has evoked condemnation by Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain and some others.

The mother in the video can be heard denying the allegations and pleading repeatedly that her child is barely seven years old. But the principal insists that she teaches him these things at home.

Local Muslim Committee members staged a protest at the Amroha tehsil headquarters on Sep 5 to condemn the incident and submitted a memorandum to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Sudhir Kumar, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Amroha.

“We have demanded that the registration of the school be canceled and stern action be taken against the principal,” said Haji Khursheed Anwar, president of the Muslim Committee.

The sub-divisional magistrate Amroha, Sudhir Kumar, on Sep 6, said that the district inspector of schools and Basic Shiksha Adhikari (official) had been ordered to investigate the matter.