The headmistress who permitted Muslim students to offer prayers on Fridays at the school in Mulbagal, Karnataka, was suspended on Tuesday, January 25. The Block Education Officer (BEO) was ordered by Kolar Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ukesh Kumar to suspend Uma Devi, Headmistress, Mulbagal Someswara Palaya Bale Changappa Government Kannada Model Higher Primary School.
A religious angle was lent to the issue when a Hindu organisation's members protested against the fact that the headmistress had allowed Muslim students to offer prayers in school. They went on to allege that the headmistress's action was biased and amounted to promoting a religion in the school.
It was when the headmistress permitted 20 students to offer prayers on Friday afternoon in a vacant classroom of the school that it led to a controversy. Speaking to TNIE, Ukesh Kumar informed that after the incident, he instructed Deputy Director of Public Instruction Revana Siddappa to conduct an inquiry after visiting the school and then, submit a detailed report as soon as possible. Accordingly, the Education Department officials conducted the inquiry on Monday, January 24, and submitted the report.
It was based on this report that Kumar ordered the BEO to suspend Uma Devi for not following the guidelines the government had set up for conducting classes and for dereliction of duty.
Sources informed TNIE that it was because the students were not turning up to school on Friday that the headmistress permitted 20 Muslim students to offer prayers in a classroom for 30 to 45 minutes.
