Rajasthan: Muslim teachers suspended over ‘love-jihad’ claims, students speak out against false testimony Suspension on the basis of memorandum submitted to the education minister by a local Hindutva organisation, student videos claim testimony coercion
26, Feb 2024 | CJP Team
In Rajasthan’s Kota district, two Muslim government school teachers were suspended after there were allegations of them allegedly conducting religious conversion and also having connections to banned organisation. The two teachers, Mirza Mujahid and Firoz Khan have been suspended, and another teacher, Shabana, is also currently under investigation in connection with these claims.
The arrests took place following accusations made by the local Hindutva group Sarva Hindu Samaj. Responding to this, the Education Minister of the state’s BJP-led government Madan Dilawar reportedly immediately took action and suspended the two government school teachers, Mujahid and Khan, over suspicions of alleged involvement in religious conversion attempts and also “love jihad” activities at the government senior secondary school which is reportedly located in Khajuri Od Pur village in Sangod block of Rajasthan. The group also accused them of allegedly abducting a girl student.
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According to Mint news, the education minister promised that strictest actions against the suspended teachers “In the Khajoori village of Sangod Panchayat Samiti in Kota district, the religion of a girl in senior secondary school was mentioned as ‘Islam’ in the transfer certificate of a girl despite her being a Hindu. A conspiracy of religious conversion and ‘love jihad’ is happening there, Hindu girls are being forced to offer namaz – this has come to our notice.”
On Thursday, a government order instructing action against the teachers was issued by the Kota district education officer (secondary), after receiving the directive from the education minister.
However, according to Siasat News numerous students from the same school in Kota have raised their voices against the suspension of two Muslim teachers. They have stated that unfounded accusations have been levelled against them. Videos have emerged featuring students in school uniforms speaking to government officials, and determinedly opposing the suspension of their teachers. In one of the videos, one girl student can be seen saying, “Who will educate us now? The ones who gave false statements or the suspended teachers?”
In the video, a student states, “False statements are being forced upon children.” Another student question also stated that they were threatened to make certain statements, and the teachers who were suspended were ‘good’. The child also stated, “Kuch namaz nahi padhaya jaatha tha. Teachers bhi ache the. Kuch nahi hota tha school mein. Humko damkakar bola gaya tha ki aap aise bolo.”
Meanwhile, the Urdu Shikshak Sangh’s national president in Rajasthan, Amin Kamkhayani, has denounced these allegations, and has stated said, the suspensions are for “political appeasement.” The state president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Mohammad Nazimuddin has called it a one sided action, and blames the regime change (with BJP getting elected) for these “polarisation tactics.” He also demanded a fresh enquiry in the case.
Image Courtesy: siasat.com
