Hindutva groups target Muslim-owned school in India
Far-right organizations demand state action after video of Islamic teaching in private school, despite clear constitutional protections
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Hindu far-right groups in northern India have launched protests against a Muslim-owned private school in Uttar Pradesh after a video showing children receiving Islamic religious lessons in Urdu circulated on social media, triggering demands for punitive state action against an institution operating fully within the law.
The school at the center of the campaign, Azamgarh Public School, is a privately run institution located in the Rani Ki Sarai area of Azamgarh district. The viral video, dated December 23, shows students in school uniform responding to basic religious questions posed by a teacher — an activity Muslim families say is voluntary and limited to Muslim children.
Despite this, Hindutva organizations accused the school of promoting “religious fanaticism” and alleged conversion, framing Islamic education itself as suspicious. The backlash quickly escalated into calls for administrative punishment, including demands to cancel the school’s recognition.
The school was established by Shah Alam, also known as Guddu Jamali, a Muslim legislator from the opposition Samajwadi Party — a fact local residents say has further politicized the issue in a state governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
As pressure mounted, school principal Rupal Pandya said the administration was verifying the authenticity of the video and had sought a response from the teacher involved. She said no conclusions could be drawn until an internal review was completed, stressing that the school had not violated any law.
Nevertheless, Hindu nationalist groups intensified their demands. Leaders of the Vishva Hindu Mahasangh publicly called on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to cancel the school’s affiliation and initiate administrative action, arguing that Islamic teaching had no place in a CBSE-affiliated school — a claim legal experts say has no constitutional basis.
Under India’s Constitution, religious instruction is prohibited only in government-funded schools. Private institutions are explicitly allowed to impart religious and cultural education, and minority communities are guaranteed the right to establish and manage educational institutions — including teaching their faith and language — without state interference.
Legal scholars said the outrage ignores these provisions entirely. They also pointed to the routine presence of Christian religious instruction in missionary schools and Sanskrit teaching in Hindu-run institutions, which rarely attract comparable scrutiny or state intervention.
Muslim parents associated with the school said the targeting has created fear and uncertainty. “Our children are learning about their religion peacefully and voluntarily,” said one parent. “There is no compulsion, no conversion. Yet we are being treated as if we have committed a crime.”
Following protests by Hindutva groups, the district administration formed multiple teams to examine the video and conduct a discreet inquiry. Officials urged calm, even as Muslim families said the move itself reinforced a sense of intimidation rather than reassurance.
Educationists warned that repeated targeting of Muslim-run schools risks normalizing harassment of minority institutions and discouraging parents from sending children to school. They said such campaigns undermine both educational access and constitutional guarantees at a time when minority communities already face growing hostility.
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