Tripta Tyagi, a teacher from Uttar Pradesh, has released a video message clarifying that there were no religious motives behind her request for students to slap their Muslim classmate.
With joined hands, she reiterated her acknowledgement of having made an error and sought forgiveness.
Teacher Apologises In Video Message
In the video, the 60-year-old educator and principal of Neha Public School in Muzaffarnagar expressed, "I admit my mistake, but I did not harbour any Hindu-Muslim agenda. The children had not completed their assignments, and my intention was to encourage them to commit the lessons to memory."
Tyagi, who mentioned she has a physical limitation, explained, "Due to my physical condition, I was unable to stand, so I requested a few students to lightly tap him a couple of times in order to encourage him to study."
She humbly accepted her mistake, emphasising, "I admit my mistake. However, I had no intention of creating a Hindu-Muslim divide. Many Muslim students' parents are unable to afford the school fees, so I teach them without charge. My intention was never to subject Muslim children to any form of distress."
What Was The Incident?
The video, which emerged on August 25, showed Tyagi, making communal remarks and urging fellow students to strike the victim more forcefully.
A male voice in the background could be heard agreeing with the teacher's sentiments. "Muslim children should leave," Tyagi's voice is captured on the video. "Absolutely right, it disrupts the education," the male voice is heard agreeing as the distressed victim stands before the class, visibly alarmed.
The incident occurred at Neha Public School in Kubbapur village, situated 30km (19 miles) from Muzaffarnagar town.
Parents' Story
Rubina, the mother of the victim, shared, "My son came home crying. He was traumatised. This isn't how children should be treated."
According to Mohammad Irshad, the father, the teacher instructed his classmates to slap my son one by one. "The teacher rationalized her actions by claiming my son hadn't memorised his lessons."
"My son excels in his studies and attends tutoring. We're baffled as to why the teacher treated him this way. It appears that the teacher harbours animosity," added the 42-year-old father.
Irshad, a farmer, attributed his son's mistreatment to the "hatred being propagated against a particular religion in the country," as evidenced by the teacher's statements captured in the video.
Rubina, on the other hand, disclosed that the teacher reportedly had a tendency to have students slapped by their peers. She further revealed that a few days prior, another student from their family underwent a similar experience after failing to memorize his lessons.
Police Takes Action
After the boy's family filed a police complaint, Tyagi is now under investigation for charges related to causing voluntary harm and purposeful insult aimed at inciting public disturbance. These offences are non-custodial in nature and do not result in immediate apprehension.
In response to the incident, the school has been temporarily closed, and authorities from the state education department have revealed that the students will be relocated to neighbouring schools.
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