A Muslim headmaster of a government primary school in Mathura was suspended after a local BJP leader accused him of forcing Islamic practices on students, but the action was later revoked when no evidence was found to support the claims.
The headmaster, Jan Mohammad, has been teaching at the school since 2007. He was accused of “brainwashing children,” forcing students to offer namaz, disrespecting the Hindu religion, and stopping the national anthem from being sung at the school. The allegations were made by Durgesh Pradhan, a local BJP mandal president.
Based on the complaint, education department officials suspended Jan Mohammad on January 31 without completing a preliminary inquiry. However, after an internal review and feedback from teachers, the department admitted that the allegations were not supported by facts and restored him to his post.
BSA Mathura Ratan Kirti said there was no past complaint against the headmaster. “Jan Mohammad has been posted in this school since 2007. His conduct and behaviour have always been found satisfactory. No such complaint was ever received earlier,” she said.
The school has 235 students, including 89 Muslim children, while the rest are Hindus. Out of eight teachers in the school, seven are Hindus. Jan Mohammad is the only Muslim staff member.
Teachers at the school rejected the allegations and expressed shock over the suspension. A teacher said the claims were completely false. “There is no forced prayer of any kind here. The national anthem is part of school routine. Nothing like this has ever happened,” the teacher said.
Another staff member pointed out that the school campus is covered by CCTV cameras. “Every activity is monitored. If anything like this had happened, it would have been recorded. No student has ever complained,” the teacher added.
Officials also confirmed that no Hindu student or parent supported the allegations made by the BJP leader. After reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to staff, the department concluded that the complaint was baseless.
