Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharat Shetty has said that time is ripe for parents to consider not admitting their children to schools managed by Christian missionaries as these schools have been hurting “sentiments of Hindus”, His statement has drawn criticism from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).
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The MLA said in a statement that he condemned the conduct of a teacher at St. Gerosa English Medium Higher Primary School, Jeppu, Mangaluru. She made derogatory remarks about Ram inside the classroom recently. The school said in a release on Monday that the teacher in question has been suspended.
Dr. Shetty said that there are instances of schools managed by Christian missionaries taking an “anti-Hindu stand.” A school in Krishnapura in Mangaluru sometime ago made students remove “rakhis”. Schools managed by the missionaries are not allowing Hindu girls to wear bangles, sport ‘tilak’ or flowers. “Now they are into a conspiracy against the Ram Mandir,” he alleged.’
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The MLA said that there should be a consensus among parents on admitting their children to schools that respected Hindu tradition and not “anti-Hindu schools.”
He said that Congress leaders too have exhibited an anti-Hindu stand by not speaking on the matter related to Georsa school.
Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath said in a statement that he condemned the alleged conduct of the teacher at the school. He said that the teacher allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Hindu religion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi thus trying to pollute the minds of students. No school should humiliate any religion, the MLA said.
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DYFI criticises MLA
Meanwhile, Muneer Katipalla, State president, DYFI, said in a statement that Dr. Shetty comes to the limelight only in matters relating to communal agenda. “The MLA’s statement is anti-Constitutional and criminal,” Mr. Katipalla said. “How many schools and colleges did he (Dr. Shetty as MLA) open for Hindus,” he questioned.
Mr. Katipalla questioned why Dr. Shetty is not talking about land sharks trying to encroach upon the government land of a primary school at Janata Colony in Surathkal. “Let him speak about efforts he made to solve the problems of government schools and colleges under his constituency,” the DYFI leader said.
Mr. Katipalla asked whether the MLA wanted students to join private schools and colleges that collected hefty fees and donations. “The MLA through his statement is trying to polarise society. People are intelligent to understand this,” he said.