On Friday, June 16, the Kapol Vidyanidhi International School in Mumbai came under fire after a video of Azaan being relayed during the school’s morning assembly session went viral on social media.
The incident led to a massive uproar among the parents who gathered outside the school premises, demanding action against the school authorities. The parents alleged that Azaan was played purposely to create communal tensions.
Kapol Vidyanidhi International School is a privately owned school in the Hindu-majority area of Kandivali (West) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The majority of the students studying in the school are Hindus.
Reports said that students as usual reached the school around 7 am. However, a teacher who was responsible for playing the regular prayers at school is said to have played the azaan on the speakers. One of the protesting parents said, Most of us come here for morning walks. Hearing the Azaan during the morning prayers was quite unusual.”
As the matter escalated, BJP Mumbai general secretary and local MLA Yogesh Sagar also reached the site with other party members and joined the protesting parents to demonstrate against the school authorities. The BJP leader also demanded prompt action against the concerned teacher.
BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar said the prayer was played intentionally especially since it was a Friday. He accused the school authorities of shielding the teacher who was behind the fiasco.
BJP Mumbai unit also tweeted about the protests that broke out outside the school.
कपोल विद्यार्थिनी शाळेत अजान लावल्याच्या निषेधार्थ भाजपा मुंबई महामंत्री आ.@Yogeshsagar09 जी यांच्या नेतृत्वात आंदोलन करण्यात आले. हा खोडसाळपणा ज्या शिक्षिकेने केला आहे तिला जोवर शाळा प्रशासन पदावरून काढत नाही तोवर आंदोलन मागे घेतले जाणार नाही. pic.twitter.com/QtIDfKIy28
— BJP Mumbai (@BJP4Mumbai) June 16, 2023
A police complaint against the school authorities was subsequently filed. “A complaint was received in Kandivali today that ‘Azaan’ was played during morning prayers at a school. Police have admitted the complaint and enquiry has begun. The matter will be enquired from all angles. All necessary action will be taken,” said DCP Ajay Kumar Bansal.
All classes were dismissed due to the protests held outside the school following the row.
Notably, the morning assembly was being attended by students of classes 4 to 10 when the teacher began playing the Azaan. Reshma Hegde, the principal of the school, initially justified the conduct by claiming that it was done to educate the students about various religions. She asserted that the matter a being blown out of proportion.
However, after the controversy escalated, the school principal apologized and said that the concerned teacher has been suspended. He also apologised and assured that such an instance would not be repeated in the future, Dr Hegde also said that an internal probe has been initiated into the matter.
While addressing the protesting crowd, Dr Reshma Hegde said, “The teacher has been suspended and an enquiry has been initiated. This is a Hindu school and our prayers include Gayatri Mantra and Saraswati Vandana. We assure such an instance will not be repeated in the future.”
The agitated parents, however, denied having any prior information about such an initiative. “None of us were informed about it,” said one parent, adding that they would have objected if they had been informed. “We send our children to this Hindu school. There was no need to play an Islamic prayer. Will there be any Hindu prayer in a Madarsa? questioned another irate parent.
