Bidar: The incident where a teacher, and the mother of a child studying at the Shaheen school in Bidar, were arrested on charges of sedition is garnering disblief online after officials of the Bidar Town police reportedly interrogated the children again for the fifth time in a row. The women were arrested on last Thursday after a play staged to explain the CAA was termed 'insulting to the prime minister'.
According to sources, the issue began on last Thursday after an ABVP member, identified as Nilesh Rakshala, lodged a complaint with Bidar Town police after watching a video online. The video showed a school play based on CAA and the management since clarified that the play was staged to help dispel the concerns the people of the area had, regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act. The arrested teacher had, on television, apologised for any wrongdoing and the children have repeatedly told the police that they were not 'radicalised' against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Another day. Same story. Police has arrived at the Shaheen School again for the fifth time today to continue questioning students over a play staged on NRC, CAA.
— Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) February 4, 2020
Rakshala had reportedly seen the video of the play online and lodged the complaint saying the play had targeted the prime minister and made use of “foul language”. Head teacher of the primary school, Fareeda (52) and Nabzunnisa (26), the mother of a class v student, were arrested. The parent was arrested as her child had spoken the dialogue, "slap anybody who asks for documents with slippers!" A picture of the police questioning the children in front of school faculty had gone viral on Thursday, garnering outrage online. The youngest of the children who were questioned was 9 years old.
A team of police in plainclothes arrived at the school again on Monday and spent an entire afternoon interrogating them. Even Deputy Superintendent of Police Basaveshwara Hira joined the team at the school to question seven students. Some of the students interrogated on Monday were not even part of the play. The interrogation of the children by police in uniform on January 28 had drawn criticisms. The police had then worn plain clothes when they visited the school on January 31 and February 1. It was said that on February 1, the police team interrogated around 60 students. The team had reportedly spent a huge number of hours during their fifth visit too.
"Is this because we are a minority institution?” asks CEO Tauseef, who heads a popular institution that was even lauded with Karnataka's Rajyotsava award for its contribution in the field of education.
“I answered all their (police) questions but my mother was still arrested. I don’t know when she will be back,” said the hapless 11-year-old girl student, speaking to a reporter of The News Minute. She had had to undergo the inquiries all five times. “Then the police asked us whether hitting the Prime Minister with a chappal is right or wrong? We replied that it was wrong. Finally, I was asked if I would repeat what I said in the play, and I said no. But even though I truthfully answered their questions, my mother was arrested,” the child told The News Minute. However, a remand application accessed by The News Minute claims that the girl told the police that her mother Nazbunnisa had told her to make the statement about Prime Minister Modi.