Mumbai school principal told to resign after being targeted by 'propaganda' website

NT Correspondent

Mumbai: The principal of Mumbai's Somaiya School, Parveen Sheikh, has reportedly been asked to resign due to her social media activity concerning Palestine and the IsraelHamas conflict.

Sheikh, who has been associated with the school for 12 years and served as its principal for the past seven years, faced scrutiny following a report by OpIndia– a Hindutva website reportedly accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech.

The report accused her of making pro-Palestine statements and showing sympathy towards Hamas, the militant group governing Gaza.

Titled 'Special liking for Hamas, Umar Khalid, ‘liking’ anti-Hindu Tweets and abusing PM Modi: Meet Parveen Shaikh, Principal of prestigious Somaiya School, Mumbai,' the OpIndia report intensified the pressure on Sheikh.

She reportedly revealed that school management approached her on April 26, informing her that her association with the institution was untenable and requesting her resignation.

Despite the pressure, Sheikh remained steadfast, expressing her commitment to the principles of freedom of speech and democracy.

Speaking to The Indian Express, she said, “I live in democratic India; I hold the principle of freedom of speech in high regard as it is a cornerstone of democracy. It is unimaginable that my expression would provoke such a malicious response, furthering their biased agenda.

She denounced the allegations against her as part of a biased agenda and refused to tender her resignation.

Sheikh claimed that she first learned about the OpIndia report from the school's management and stated that she had not been contacted by the website before its publication.

In a statement to Hindustan Times, she said: "The portal that published the article about me is known for its bias against secular constitutional ethos and the Palestinian cause.''

LEAVE A COMMENT