School manager booked on 'Kalma' issue in Kanpur

The manager of the Florets International school in Kanpur has been booked after a parent lodged a complaint about children being made to recite the 'kalma' during morning assembly.

ACP Sisamau, Nishank Sharma, said: "Following the complaint, a case has been lodged at the Sisamau police station against school manager, Sumit Makhija, under the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feeling of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code."

As per the FIR, the school has been attempting to teach the students about conversions following which there have been some changes in the behaviour of the children.

The complaint further says that the students were forced to recite 'kalma' inside the school premises and demanded to seal the building completely.

The complainant also sought a refund of fees and re-admissions to other schools accordingly.

According to the police, they were alerted by a tweet that alleged that the school in Sisamau in the city was making students recite Islamic prayers during morning prayers.

Following this, a joint team of officials from the district administration and police visited the school and met the authorities, who informed them that their students have been reciting prayers of four religions for the last several years and no parent had objected to it.

However, right-wing activists made it an issue and staged a demonstration outside the school on Monday.