Arms training in school: Three students take a transfer

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: Close on the heels of ‘Trishul Diksha’ and ‘arms training’ to the Hindu youths by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad at a private school in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district last week, three students belonging to Muslim community have taken transfer certificate from that school.

The event had stirred a political controversy in the state with the ruling BJP leaders defending it, while the opposition Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) parties dubbed it as an attempt to create social disharmony in society.

Even Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai had defended it and had said there was no harm if it was held as per law. But the leader of opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah had demanded the arrest of Bajrang Dal leaders for imparting arms training to the youths and giving Trishuls (trident) to the trainees in the name of ‘Shourya Prashikshan Varg-2022’.

Distancing from the controversy, the school management claimed that no arms training was held on the school premises and appealed to the people not to drag the institution into any controversy.

The school has students belonging to various castes and religions and the management does not differentiate them, it added.

The three students joined another school after they got the transfer certificate.

VHP Kodagu District President Krishnamurthy said this has come to his notice and has already spoken to the school management in this regard. It was true that three Muslim students have taken a transfer and it needs to be investigated.