Row Over Madhya Pradesh School Making Students Sing Allama Iqbal's Verses

A school in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh has run into controversy for allegedly forcing students, who are not Muslims, to sing Urdu poet Allama Iqbal's penned verses.

Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School already faces a probe for allegedly making non-Muslim girl students wear the 'hijab'.

Raising the issue at a Ladli Bahna Yojana-related event on Friday in Chattarpur district, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said such practice will not be allowed.

"It's yesterday only that I came to know about daughters being forced to cover with their heads at a school, which was also teaching the poem of the man who got the country partitioned," Mr Chouhan said.

"I want to warn everyone that such acts won't be allowed in Madhya Pradesh. Only the education policy implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will be applicable in the state," he said.

"Any school that teaches matters which isn't in line with the new education policy or forces girl students to wear a scarf or anything else to cover the head, will not be allowed to operate in the state," the Chief Minister said.

Damoh District Collector Mayank Agrawal, who formed a committee to probe the allegations, said on Friday they are also looking at more matter including those linked to the school's registration.

"While the committee was conducting the probe, the school told us about its management committee's decision to drop wearing a scarf from its dress code for girl students as well as singing only the national anthem during the morning prayer," Mr Agrawal said.

Earlier, the school in Damoh district had released a poster of its board exam toppers in which some girls, who are not Muslims, are seen wearing scarves. The poster was widely shared on social media, alleging the girls were forced by the school to wear the hijab.

The matter was subsequently flagged to the Damoh district collector by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo.

Rightwing groups including the VHP, Bajrang Dal and the ABVP protested in Damoh, accusing the Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School of forcing non-Muslim girl students to wear the hijab.

The district collector said they got the NCPCR complaint on May 30 and the Damoh district education officer met the families of the students. The officer said no parent has given a complaint.

"The school dress code for girl students comprises scarves, salwar and kurta. But even if we forget to wear a scarf any day, we aren't punished for it. We don't have anything to complain about," one of the students said.