Bijnor: Muslim Teacher, Who Wiped Off Tilak From Hindu Students' Foreheads, Suspended By Yogi Adityanath Government

The District Magistrate (DM)-ordered inquiry found that the allegations of a school teacher wiping off tilak from the forehead of Hindu students in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor are true and action against her was taken.

After the videos of a teacher, Tanveer Ayesha, removing tilak from students’ foreheads surfaced on social media on 24 August, DM Ankit Kumar Agarwal formed a three-member committee to probe the matter.

When the committee confirmed the allegations, two teachers, Tanveer Ayesha and Usha, were suspended, while two others, Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari and Rajendra Kumar, were denied their annual increment for one year.

"All four teachers have been transferred to another school. New teachers will be sent to the school soon," DM Agarwal told Indian Express on the incident which happened in the Bhanera village of the Kiratpur block.

Notably, Ansari is accused of asking Muslim students to offer namaz in a mosque during school hours, while Usha is alleged to have removed caps from Muslim students’ heads following the row over tilak in school.

"The teachers were spreading racialism within the school campus, which was a very dangerous sign of polluting young minds, and hence they faced the action," Basic Education Officer of Bijnor, Yogendra Kumar said.

However, Ayesha has denied the charges of wiping off tilak and said, "I have been teaching in government schools for the last 18 years, and my record is unblemished."

School students had complained about Ayesha, followed by which parents stormed into the school and protested against acting principal Kumar, for allegedly not taking any action.