Anand Bhawan School in Uttar Pradesh | Photo Credit: ANI

Barabanki: In yet another shocking incident from Uttar Pradesh, a school in Barabanki has barred Muslim students from wearing headscarves to class, citing that they do not go with the dress code of the school.

ALSO READ: INSIDE STORY: How Yogi Adityanath's last-minute shuffle saved him from murderous attack near Azamgarh in 2008

The incident is being reported a day after three Muslim clerics were allegedly beaten up by unidentified persons in a moving train for wearing scarfs.

The 'maulvis', who boarded a passenger train at Delhi on Wednesday night, were on their way to their village in Baghpat when they had a tiff with some youth who allegedly beat them up.

Kairana-like mass exodus has stopped, criminals prefer jail over bail in UP, says CM Yogi Adityanath

Today, another shocker was reported from the state governed by Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government. Anand Bhawan School objected to one of its Muslim students wearing a headscarf to school. When the student’s father asked permission for the same in a written application to the principal, he received back the following reply.

“It is to clarify you that this is a minority school, but there are many communities in minority category, and one community cannot impose its rules on other communities,” the letter read, and further said, “The school will not be able to provide an exemption to its rules.”

Principal Archana Thomas also asked him to not “disrupt the school’s functioning by asking unnecessary questions.”

“If you face any inconvenience, you can admit your ward in an Islamic school,” she added.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Mohammad R Rizvi, the father of the concerned student, said that his daughter had been studying in the school since kindergarten, and as per Islam tradition, had to cover her hair after reaching the age of nine.

On being questioned about it, Rizvi wrote to the principal.

“My daughter was asked not to wear a headscarf to school, another girl was made to remove it as well. I argued that our Sikh brothers are also allowed even though their turban is not part of the dress code,” he said.

Rizvi said that he also held a meeting with the District Magistrate regarding the school’s order, but to no avail.

“It felt like talking with the principal. He didn’t hear anything that I had to say and made it clear that he will not help me in any way. Generally, people at least give an assurance,” Rizvi said.

The school’s principal, meanwhile, said that the letter did not imply that the students were told to leave school.

“It said if they have a problem with the rules, they can admit their child to another school, not necessarily an Islamic school,” Thomas said.

On the question of differentiating among communities by allowing Sikhs and barring Muslims from practising their beliefs, Thomas said, “Sikhs don’t study here.”

(With Agency inputs)

