A school principal in Maharashtra’s Pune district was allegedly assaulted by members of a right-wing outfit for ‘making students sing a Christian prayer’ in the morning assembly.
The incident took place on Tuesday and came to light a day later after a video of an incident went viral on social media. The video purportedly shows Alexander Coastes Reid, principal of DY Patil High School, Talegaon, being chased by a mob shouting “Har Har Mahadev” and “Desh ka bal, Bajrang Dal.”
“Nearly a hundred people barged into the school campus. They assaulted the principal and made false accusations,” said a staff member of the school, requesting anonymity.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Talegaon MIDC police inspector Ranjit Sawant said, “The parents of some students had earlier complained that their children were being forced to recite Christian prayers in morning assembly, and they were not given holidays on Hindu festivals.”
The principal was also accused by the parents of installing CCTV cameras inside the girls’ washrooms.
“We investigated and found no camera inside any washroom. There was only one camera installed in the common area near the wash basin,” he said.
When asked if any action was taken against those who assaulted the principal, he said, “The school has not registered any complaint regarding the physical assault.”
Earlier, another college principal in Maharashtra, Subhash N Nikam, was suspended after Hindutva groups alleged that students attending his seminar were being forced to convert to Islam.
| Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
