School "Makes" Students Offer Namaz, Gujarat Orders Probe Amid Protests

A private school in Ahmedabad allegedlt asked Hindu students to offer namaz as part of an awareness programme, trigerring a probe by the state government and protests by right-wing Hindu activists on Tuesday.

Videos showed a teacher being beaten by the protesters.

The state government ordered an inquiry into the programme held at Kalorex Future School in Ahmedabad's Ghatlodia area on September 29.

The programme intended to make students aware of the practices of different religions and no student was forced to offer namaz, the school said, while tendering an apology.

In a video of the event, later removed from the school's Facebook page, a student of the primary section can be seen offering namaz. Four others later joined him in singing "lab pe aati hai dua", a prayer.

Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organisations protested on the school premises today.

"It seems that some people want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the state by organising such programmes in schools. Students who took part in that program may not be even aware what exactly they were doing. This is not at all acceptable," Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Adult Education Praful Pansheriya said.

"We will conduct an investigation to find out the mentality and intention behind organising such a programme and then take appropriate action. We will not spare those who have done anything wrong," the minister added.

"We came across a video which showed that Hindu students of the school were forced to offer namaz during an activity. Following our protest, the school management has tendered an apology and also given an assurance that such activities will not be conducted in the future because only Hindu students study in the school," said Meet Bhavsar, Gujarat ABVP's media coordinator.

A teacher seen playing a musical instrument in the event's video was thrashed by the activists and angry parents during the protest on Tuesday, some viral videos showed. No police case has been filed yet.

In its apology, the school said it will be careful going forth.

School principal Nirali Dagli said that it was the tradition of the school to make students aware of different religions and their practices ahead of festivals.

"In view of Eid, we had organised this activity for the students of Class 2 to teach them about the festival. We hold such activities ahead of festivals of all religions, including Samvatsari and Ganesh Chaturthi. No student was forced to offer namaz. It was just a two-minute activity, and the students who participated had taken consent from their parents," she told reporters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)