Bajrang Dal Protests After Teacher Takes Away Tripura Student's Wristband

Members of right-wing group Bajrang Dal staged a protest at a private Christian missionary-run school in Tripura's capital Agartala today after a teacher allegedly prohibited a student from wearing a wristband adorned with a religious symbol. The protesters claimed the act hurt religious sentiments.

The Holy Cross School authorities, in a statement, termed the incident as "unfortunate" and said that the wristband has been returned to the student.

The authorities insisted that the institution "respects all religious beliefs".

Tutan Saha, Bajrang Dal's Tripura state coordinator, expressed concerns about the "religious restrictions in missionary-run schools" and said that such actions "hinder the natural growth of children".

He condemned the incident, describing it as an attack on Hinduism, culture, tradition, and constitutional rights.

The student's father, Manoj Nath, who is a a faculty member at a state government-run college, said the wristband "held significant religious value" as it was "brought from the Somnath Temple in Gujarat".

School principal Rev Jilson Tom expressed regret over the incident and affirmed the school's commitment to secular values.

The school also detailed the actions taken to address the situation promptly, including reinstating the wristband on the student's wrist as demanded by the parent and protesters.