Bidar school faces sedition charge for ‘abusing’ PM Modi in anti-CAA play

Police have booked a school and its management in Karnataka’s Bidar district for sedition, breach of peace and promoting enmity amongst communities after a video clip of an ‘anti-Citizenship Amendment Act’ drama staged by its students as a part of its annual day celebrations went viral.

Police filed the case on January 26 after a Facebook video of January 21 showed fourth and fifth standard students of Shaheen School who staged a play with an ‘anti-CAA’ theme, allegedly abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their dialogues.

Based on a complaint by a person called Neelesh who has describes himself as a social worker, the police filed cases under IPC sections 504, 505(2), 124(A), 153(A) and 34.

Thouseef Madikeri, CEO of Shaheen Group of institutions acknowledged that the school in Bidar had staged a play on the protests against the CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) where a fourth standard girl “inadvertently mouthed dialogues which were not part of the script.”

“We are a reputed chain of institutions who have been in the education sector for last 31 years and we operate in 13 states. We have a branch in Delhi too near Jamia Milia. Yes, the students at our Bidar school had done a play on the protests against CAA, NRC and NPR. In that inadvertently a fourth standard girl, mouthed dialogues which were not part of the script but which were being commonly said on the streets. One has to realise that things spoken in Deccani style might have been misunderstood. The parents of the girl have already apologized but police are harassing management, staff and students incessantly,” Madikeri said.

A police officer who did not want to be named said that they are talking to students and staff to understand who trained them to say such dialogues. “It is unlikely that a nine year old child will say such things without being taught. So we are trying to find out who told them to say such things.”

BJP leader and district in-charge minister Prabhu Chauhan who holds the animal husbandry and minority welfare portfolios in the Yediyurappa cabinet condemned the remarks made against the PM.

“They have insulted the PM who has been elected by the people and thus it is an insult to the country,” he said. ABVP activists also held a protest against the remarks made against Modi.