UP: Law student complains against principal over objection to ‘tilak’

Hardoi: A law student has filed a complaint with the Hardoi district administration, accusing his college principal of objecting to him sporting a 'tilak' on his forehead, officials said on Sunday. Amit Yadav, a first-semester law student at the BN Degree College in Shahabad, alleged that the principal, Umar, made objectionable remarks and asked him to remove his tilak before attending classes.

In his complaint, submitted during the ‘Tehsil Samadhan Diwas’ on Saturday, Yadav claimed the principal's remarks caused him mental distress. He claimed the principal told him that “this is BN Degree College, not a gurukul,” which hurt his religious sentiments.

He also alleged that due to the incident, he was unable to fill out his LLB first-semester examination form, the deadline for which was December 20. Calling the incident a violation of his religious freedom, Yadav demanded legal action against the principal and sought immediate relief to submit his examination form.

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Denying the allegations, Umar said he neither stopped any student from wearing a tilak nor made any objectionable remarks. Sub-divisional magistrate Shahabad Ankit Tiwari confirmed that a complaint has been received and an inquiry is underway. “Necessary action will be taken based on the findings of the probe,” he said.

After the complaint was filed, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) staged a protest at the college on Saturday, warning against discrimination on religious grounds and threatening agitation if “such incidents” continue.