Copyright thehindu
The Bharatiya Janata Party, on Thursday (October 30, 2025), demanded action against a teacher who allegedly punished a student for not singing prayer hymns in Salem. In a petition to District Collector R. Brindha Devi, BJP State Environmental Protection Cell president R.P. Gopinath stated that in a government-aided school at Nethimedu on Wednesday (October 29, 2025), a teacher named Jayarose had allegedly asked the students to sing five prayer hymns praising Jesus Christ and Mary. One of the students, aged 12, did not sing the song and on noticing this, the teacher asked the student for the reason. The student reportedly said that she is not interested in singing the prayer, as it distracts her. Irked by this, the teacher made the student stand for five periods. Due to this, she fell sick, and another teacher made her sit and gave her water. The teacher allegedly told the students not to apply holy ash and kumkum on their forehead, or she will remove it using a blade. The petition stated that later in the evening, the teacher, in a WhatsApp audio sent to the parents claimed that the British and the Christians brought education, roads, electricity, and other infrastructure to India. “This is a Christian school and knowing this, parents are admitting their children in this school,” she added. Mr. Gopinath demanded stern action against the teacher and urged the School Education Department to ensure the rights of students to apply holy ash and kumkum on their forehead. He alleged that most of the minority institutions in the district do not allow the girl students to apply the same. If the department did not ensure this right or failed to take action against the teacher concerned, BJP will stage a protest, he added. District Education Officer for secondary education Narasimman said that he will look into the matter and will visit the school. “Applying ash and kumkum is not banned and instructions will be given to all the schools in this regard,” he added. School Headmistress Sister Leema said that their school did not ban students from applying holy ash or kumkum. Regarding the WhatsApp audio and other allegations, an inquiry will be conducted, Sister Leema added.
