‘Ma’ for masjid, ‘Na’ for namaz: ABVP accuses MP school of using 'Islamic content' in Hindi charts; probe ordered

NEW DELHI: A school in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district is facing backlash after alphabet charts with Islamic references were allegedly distributed to students.

The incident triggered protests and a government inquiry.

Officials on Saturday said Baby Convent School principal I A Qureshi is accused of handing out Hindi alphabet charts where ‘Ka’ stood for Kaba, ‘Ma’ for Masjid and ‘Na’ for Namaz.

According to protesters, the material was inappropriate for a school setting. Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a demonstration on Friday and surrounded the principal’s office.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Pratibha Sharma said police intervened to bring the situation under control. “The matter is related to the education department and referred to the district education officer,” Sharma said.

DEO D D Rajak confirmed an investigation is under way, adding, “As per the Education department’s guidelines, study material containing religious symbols of any particular faith cannot be taught in schools.”

Qureshi admitted to an “inadvertent” error, stating that one or two books with mixed Urdu-Hindi content had reached students. She claimed the alphabet charts were sourced from Bhopal and that the inclusion of three such items was due to a seller’s mistake.
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