Introduction

A private school teacher in northern India is facing charges for encouraging students to slap a Muslim pupil, police said Saturday.

Charges Filed

A police official in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, confirmed that the teacher is facing charges for intentionally causing hurt as well as insults and provocation.

Incident Goes Viral

There was outrage after the video of the incident in the village of Khubbapur in Muzaffarnagar went viral Friday.

The video shows the Muslim student standing in front of the class as a number of his classmates come up to slap him, making him cry.

Teacher’s Remarks

The teacher, who is Hindu, is heard saying: “What are you doing? Why are you not beating him harder?”

“I have declared that all Muslim children should go,” the teacher at Neha Public School is also heard saying.

Father’s Response

Before the charges were filed, the boy’s father Irshad Ahmed had said he was not filing any complaints but was withdrawing his child from the school.

Public Outrage

The incident led to massive public outrage.

Political Statements

“Sowing the poison of discrimination in the minds of innocent children, turning a holy place like a school into a market place of hatred – there is nothing worse a teacher can do for the country,” said top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on X, formerly Twitter.

“This is the same kerosene spread by the BJP which has set every corner of India on fire,” he said, referring to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, said the father of the Muslim boy is withdrawing his son from the school instead of filing a complaint because he knows he will not get justice.

Increase in Hate Crimes

Since the BJP came to power in India in 2014, there has been an increase in hate crimes against Muslims.