Probe ordered against UP school banning national anthem

Lucknow: The manager of a school in Allahabad has been arrested and slapped with a sedition case for banning the recital of the national anthem at the school function on August 15, the state police said on Monday.

The issue came to light after the school principal, along with seven other teachers quit in protest against the diktat, prompting the police to take action against the MA Convent School located in Boghara locality.

The district administration has also constituted a three-member team to probe the incident.

Officials said the school was not recognised by the state education department and was apparently being run illegally.

Teachers, who had quit their jobs alleged that school manager Zia-ul-Haq had stopped the singing of the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana..." calling it an "act against Islam".

They also said they had been forbidden for many years now to sing the national anthem. This time when they openly threatened to go public with the ban, they were asked to leave by the school administration.

The manager, however, justified the act and said some words in the national anthem were "objectionable" and against the "basic principles of Islam" which maintained that Allah was the only giver and the one who decides the destiny of its people.