BHOPAL: Bajrang Dal activists allegedly raised slogans and tried to forcefully shut down Campion School citing state holiday on the occasion of Ram Navami on Wednesday in Habibganj locality here. The activists later returned after getting an assurance from the school administration of not opening the school in future on the occasion of any Hindu festival and no arrests were made in the incident, the police said.
On Wednesday at around 10.30 am, about 15-20 Bajrang Dal activists reached Campion School to ask the school administration to close it down citing state holiday for Ram Navami. After reaching the school they demanded the principal to meet them and give reasons behind opening it on a state holiday.
“The activists went there after they came to know that it was open despite the fact that all the other schools in the city and state were closed to celebrate Ram Navami. They then gave a memorandum to the district education officer (DEO) against the school’s decision of opening the school.
The activists later returned after an apology was offered by the school principal and the school was closed,” said co-secretary, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (Bhopal division), Rajesh Sahu adding that such incidents would not be tolerated in future as it was a matter related to the religious sentiments of the majority Hindu community.
However, when contacted, the school administration denied the fact that the school was closed after the demonstration of Bajrang Dal activists and said it was opened because it had to conduct examination of CBSE Class 12 Board.
“It was a state holiday but we had to open the school because there was an examination of CBSE Class 12 Board. It was important to open the school because it was the matter of Board examinations and CBSE made the exam date-sheet by considering the holidays mentioned in the calendar of the Centre and not state government.
The school was not closed and the examination was conducted peacefully,” said public relation officer, Campion School, Winston Minj adding the Bahrang Dal activists returned after they were told that CBSE Board exams were going on.
The police also reached the spot soon after it came to know about the protest of the right wing activists on the school campus. However, nobody was detained or arrested.
“We reached the spot as soon as we were informed about it. There was no violence or ruckus in the school and it was solved peacefully after the school administration assured the activists that they will not open the school in future on any major festival. No complaints were lodged by the school administration in this incident,” said station house officer, Habibganj, Ravindra Yadav.
