On 4th July, a seasoned mathematics teacher at City Montessori School (CMS) Lucknow, Kuldeep Tiwari, wrote a complaint to the District Magistrate alleging his services were terminated from the school after he refused to withdraw cases related to the Bhojshala, Gyanvapi, and the demolition of illegal religious structures. In his complaint, he alleged that he was subjected to persistent harassment over his religious practices including maintaining Shikha and wearing Tilak along with his involvement in several PILs.
In the detailed complaint, Tiwari accused the Principal Ms Jaishreekrishnan and Vice Principal Ms Rita Fleming, of repeatedly asking him to remove Tilak and cut Shikha. Tiwari pointed out that both are significant parts of his life as he is a practising devout Hindu. Tiwari asserted that these demands were made repeatedly over several years often accompanied by insults and threats.
⚡️STARTLING HINDUPHOBIA IN LUCKNOW!⚡️
— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) July 7, 2024
💥Anti-Hindu stance by the largest school of the world – 'City Montessori School' (CMS) of Lakshmanpuri (Lucknow)!
Hindu leader @kuldeep1805 (Kuldeep Tiwari), national president of "Jan Udghosh Seva Sansthan," who happens to be the Hindu… pic.twitter.com/enOMrgzh40
Tiwari is involved in several high-profile PILs. His organisation held a major spiritual and cultural event in Lucknow in October 2023. During the event, a model exhibition of the Gyanvapi Temple was shown. The event was attended by several prominent scholars and spiritual leaders. The event aimed to raise awareness about important religious sites including Kashi, Mathura and Bhojshala.
He said that soon after the event, the Principal and Vice Principal called him in their office and demanded that he withdraw all his pending PILs. He said, “I was told to either withdraw my cases or resign from my job immediately”. He expressed his inability to withdraw the cases stating that the legal battles he is fighting are within the bounds of the law and public interest.
Tiwari said the situation worsened after he participated in Puja before the ASI survey of the Bhojshala case in April 2024. When he came back, he was again pressured to resign or face termination.
As per Tiwari, he was told, “You were asked to withdraw all the cases, but you did not, so you will no longer work at CMS. It would be better if you resign voluntarily, otherwise, we will dismiss you. You will be left destitute, then sit on the street and feed on Hindutva.”
He said, “They threatened to leave me destitute and even made derogatory comments about my religious beliefs.” He alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to terminate him from his job.
Finally, on 1st July 2024, he received a termination letter from CMS that cited various reasons. He said, “My dismissal is an insult to my religious sentiments and a violation of my rights”. In his complaint, Tiwari called for a high-level investigation into the matter stating he believed there might be influence of external, anti-India forces. He said, “It is crucial to ascertain whether the pressure was due to personal malice or other anarchic forces.”
He also added that CMS, which is inspired by the Bahá’í Faith, is a powerful institution with notable links to foreign entities. He further alleged that CMS receives foreign funding. He raised concerns about potential influences on the investigation as well. He requested for full security detail for himself fearing his safety amidst the conflict.
List of cases Kuldeep is involved in:
Bhojshala Case, WPIL 10484/2022, Indore High Court
Gyanvapi Case, Case Numbers 350/2021 and 1415/2023, Honorable District Court, Varanasi
Against Illegal Religious Constructions, WPIL 1930/2022, Honorable Allahabad High Court
Against the Provisions of Section 494 IPC, WP (C) 001382/2020, Honorable Supreme Court
Against Bollywood Film ‘Adipurush,’ Case Number 0728/2022, Honorable Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench)
Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Case, WPIL 0293/2024, Honorable District Court, Mathura
