The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: A Catholic school in Telangana’s Mancherial district was vandalised by a group of saffron-clad men shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans on Tuesday, April 16, accusing the school management of insulting Hindu religious sentiments.
A video capturing vandalism by the mob is going viral on social media. Two first information reports (FIRs) have been registered by Dandepally police. The police are examining the videos and are in the process of identifying the accused.
The incident took place at St Mother Teresa English Medium School, Luxettipet, in Kannepalli village in the north Telangana district.
According to the Indian Express, Mancherial deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Ashok Kumar said, exams were going on in the school and some of the students turned up in saffron clothes, as they were observing ‘Hanuman Deeksha’, a penance for 41 days.
“Exams were going on. After the exam, the principal told the students to come in uniform and that if they wanted to wear saffron clothes, they had to get permission. That triggered the parents. Previously also there were some complaints against the principal and it was there in the parents’ mind. It was a Tuesday and there was a temple nearby and all this escalated and led to vandalism,” Kumar added.
One of the student’s parents who lodged a complaint against the school management said their son who is studying in Class IV and two of his classmates were not allowed into the school for wearing the ‘Hanuman Mala Deeksha’ dress. The parents accused the school correspondent of intentionally insulting their religious sentiments and promoting enmity between religions.
On the other hand, school correspondent, Father Jaimon Joseph, a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) which runs the school, told IE that students were allowed to write the exam on Monday.
“It was a miscommunication and false news was spread on social media leading to over 500 people reaching the school on Tuesday morning. The attack on the school continued for nearly four hours and we suspect it was pre-planned,” he said.
He further said that the principal had told students on Monday afternoon that they have to get permission to appear exam in saffron clothes. “Had their parents even telephoned us, we would have granted the permission. On Tuesday morning, one of the students still came in saffron clothes and we did not stop the student. By then, a huge mob came to school and attacked us,” he added.
The school management has been booked under Sections 153a (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Meanwhile, the vandals have been charged under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage), 452 (trespass to house with the motive to hurt someone), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 143 (unlawful assembly) read with 149 (common object).