After a video of children cleaning toilets went viral online, the headmaster of a school run by the state government was suspended today, Thursday, December 28, according to officials.

Parents protested after watching a video of a few school children cleaning and scrubbing toilets that went viral online.

This month alone, Karnataka has seen three cases of this kind.

Officials say that the event happened on Saturday (December 23) at a government-run school in the Shivamogga district's Bhadravati taluk, in which Class VI students were reportedly asked to clean toilets.

The headmaster, however, claimed that the students were only directed to pour water and not clean the toilets when he was confronted by senior education department officials.

Speaking to PTI, a senior education department said, "On Wednesday, I received a ten-second video on WhatsApp in which students were seen cleaning toilets. I immediately instructed the officials concerned to visit the school and conduct a detailed inquiry.”

Following a report submitted by the Block Education Officer disciplinary action was initiated against the headmaster of the school, said the official.

"This is unacceptable and so, we have suspended Headmaster Shankarappa in connection with the incident in the school last week," he added. 

This follows an earlier instance in a state government-run school in Bengaluru, in which students were allegedly made to clean toilets. Following the viral video of the incident, the education department suspended the school's headmistress.

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa condemned the incident, terming it "shocking" and "deplorable". He had also instructed the education department to ensure that such incidents don't take place again.

Due to allegations that a few students were forced to clean the soak pit on the school's property, the principal and two staff members of a residential school in the Kolar district were also suspended earlier this month.