VASCO
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday afternoon confronted the principal of the Government Higher Secondary School at Baina to seek an explanation on its decision to send some students to a Masjid on Saturday.
While the meeting lasted for over half an hour, a strong police force was present to avoid any law-and-order situation.
While the principal said the students had been sent after an invitation was received from the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIOI), the VHP members said they would take up the matter with the ADEI and the education department, while also demanding action against teachers involved in the issue.
Later speaking to reporters, VHP Secretary (Mormugao Taluka) Sanjiv Korgaonkar said the school had informed that the students were also sent for a similar programme in the last few years.
“Students of two schools, Keshav Smriti HSS and Government HSS Baina. have participated in the workshop on an invitation letter sent by ISOI and the photos of girl students in Hijab have gone viral on social media. We have got to know that around 30 students from the Govt HSS had also participated and we have the entire list of these students,” said Korgaonkar.
“We also got to know that these programmes have been happening over the last few years and since the principal has recently joined, she allowed it thinking it is a regular affair.”
“The school or the principal, however, had no knowledge of what was explained during the programme and how students were made to wear hijab, etc. We have now explained that this programme was not a part of the curriculum and that approvals were required from ADEI or education department before sending students to such a programme,” said Korgaonkar.
Korgaonkar said it was total negligence that the principal and school had no information about the programme.
