Jalna: Police in Maharashtra's Jalna district have registered a case against the principal of a school and two teachers over a cultural performance staged by students during an annual function earlier this year.
The programme, held in February in Partur town, came under scrutiny after social media posts claimed that students had performed to a Pakistani song and that an image associated with Pakistani national Mumtaz Qadri had been displayed during the event. The claims triggered controversy and demands for action against the school administration.
Based on the allegations, police booked the three educators under provisions related to acts prejudicial to India's sovereignty, unity and integrity, promoting enmity between groups, disseminating misinformation affecting national integration and circulating false information capable of causing public alarm.
School principal Wazhiyoddin Siddiqui has denied the allegations. According to him, the music used during the performance was from the Turkish television series Ertuğrul and not from Pakistan. He also maintained that the image shown during the programme was that of an actor from the series rather than Qadri.
Qadri, a former Pakistani police commando, was executed in 2016 after being convicted of assassinating Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011. Taseer had publicly supported Asia Bibi, a Christian woman later acquitted in a blasphemy case.
The principal further alleged that video clips circulated online had been altered, leading to a misleading portrayal of the event.Police said an investigation is underway to verify the allegations and determine the circumstances surrounding the performance. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar has sought action against the school's management and called for the institution's recognition to be withdrawn.