Three members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have been placed under judicial remand. The incident took place in Kerala’s Palakkad district. This comes after the three disrupted the Christmas celebrations at a government school. The group allegedly threatened the teachers and principal in front of the students.
The three accused include K Anilkumar who is the district secretary of Vishva Hindu Parishad, V Sushasanan the district coordinator of Bajrang Dal, and lastly K Velayudhan who is the president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad Panchayat Committee.
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According to reports, the incident occurred on Friday, December 20, at a Government Upper Primary School in Nallepilly. The Primary school was hosting a Christmas celebration after the completion of mid-term examinations. All the students and teachers dressed as Santa Claus to celebrate Christmas. They were cutting a Christmas cake when the three accused allegedly gatecrashed the event.
The trio allegedly disrupted the school’s Christmas celebrations. They asked if the school celebrates all such festivals including Sri Krishna Jayanthi. They even questioned the teachers and students about their attire for the Christmas carol.
The school’s headmistress, S. Jayanthi, filed a formal FIR following the incident. The complaint was lodged at the Chittoor police station in Kerala. Following the complaint the police arrested the three accused on Saturday.
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The Chittoor police informed that the trio verbally abused the headmistress and teachers in the presence of the small students. They also demanded that the school should celebrate Sri Krishna Jayanti instead of Christmas. The witnesses from the scene confirmed that the accused used derogatory language and questioned the celebration’s significance.
K Mathew, SHO of Chittoor police station informed that “The three persons were arrested on Saturday after booking them under charges of disrupting the duty of public servants and threatening,”
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All three were booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) i.e. sections 329(3), 296(b), 351(2), 132, and 196. This includes charges related to threats, disrupting public servants’ duties, and fostering religious hatred.
The police said that the accused obstructed the administration’s works, uttering obscenities in a manner that fostered religious rivalry and trespassing. Following this the accused were produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody.
The incident has sparked outrage among educators and the local community. The Kerala School Teachers Association (KSTA) protested against the action. They strongly condemned the actions of the members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The association has further demanded strict measures to protect students and teachers on school premises.
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Furthermore, the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has also echoed similar sentiments. They also emphasize the need for security to prevent such disruptions from happening in the future and the protection of teachers and students from Sangh Parivar’s actions.
In addition to this, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has announced a friendly Christmas event in front of the school on Monday to promote harmony. The DYFI and Youth Congress have planned this celebration as a mark of protest against the VHP’s action.
However, the state BJP leadership has remained silent. They have made no comments on the matter.
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