Hyderabad: Saroornagar police have registered a case against Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Akula Srivani after she and her supporters allegedly confronted and intimidated a Muslim teacher at a private school over claims that Hindu students were asked to remove rakhis and other religious markers.
The incident took place on September 29 at Sagarika Integrated High School in Sri Venkateshwara Colony. According to reports, Srivani, accompanied by members of a Hindutva group, entered the principal’s office and questioned the management and the teacher. She alleged that children had been told to remove rakhis, bindis, tikkas, bangles and scarves, and that classroom talk had run against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ram Temple at Ayodhya and India’s GDP growth.
The teacher is reported to have said the rakhis had become dirty and that students had therefore been asked to remove them. Other accounts say she explained that scarves were being worn beyond the period permitted by the school. When she denied the wider allegations, Srivani is said to have raised her voice and referred to the teacher’s hijab, asking whether anyone had opposed or questioned her for wearing it through the year. Outside the school, the corporator urged parents to watch what was being taught to their children.
Police took suo motu cognisance after a video of the exchange circulated on social media. Saroornagar SHO N. Srishylam confirmed that a case had been registered and that evidence was still being collected. Reports differ on the exact provisions: some cite Sections 196 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering promotion of enmity and acts that hurt religious feelings; others mention Section 351, relating to criminal intimidation.
Srivani has rejected the case. She said she had gone to the school after complaints from students, had only questioned the teacher and the management, and had not attacked any religion or made a hate speech. She asked what offence justified non-bailable sections and on what basis police had acted on a social-media video. The investigation is continuing.
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