Bihar: School principal, teacher transferred after Urdu prayer controversy

GAYA: The Bihar government has transferred the principal and a teacher of a school in Gaya district following a controversy over prayer conducted in Urdu, and ordered an investigation into the matter, an official said on Thursday. The female principal and the male teacher of the school, located in Jamalpur area under the jurisdiction of Aanti police station, belong to different religious communities.

District Education Officer Om Prakash shifted the two to other institutes on deputation in the same district and sought clarifications from both, officials said. It is alleged that the male teacher recently recorded a video of the Urdu prayer against the wishes of the principal. “Generally prayers are held in government schools in both Hindi and Urdu on a regular basis,” Prakash told PTI. Police said the two also lodged complaints against each other.

According to the police complaint filed by the teacher, a group of people came to him on March 8 and asked for the video. They allegedly assaulted him for making the video of the Urdu prayer. The principal, on the other hand, charged the teacher with making personal attacks against her. "The matter is being investigated by the department and appropriate action will be taken against the two once the probe report comes,” Prakash said. Prima facie it appears that attempts were made to disturb social harmony in the area, he said.