Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, George Kurian, on Monday strongly condemned the alleged threatening of teachers at a government school in Kerala by Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists over Christmas celebrations.
Kurian urged the state government to take stringent action against the culprits to prevent such incidents from recurring.
While talking to reporters in New Delhi, Kurian said he supports the legal action taken by the state government against the accused in connection with the incident.
The Union Minister also said that the Kerala Government's decision to celebrate Christmas in state-run schools is a welcome move.
"I strongly condemn the incident. I request the Kerala government to take stringent legal action to not repeat such incidents anymore... Extending support to the legal action taken by the Kerala government," he said.
He also wanted the state government to organise the celebrations of other religions like "nabidinam" (Milad-un-Nabi) and Sri Krishna Jayanti also in state-run schools to create awareness about it among children.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan said he didn't know the exact details of the incident and didn't not believe that BJP activists would do such things.
Let the police investigate the matter, he said, adding that the BJP's stand is clear on the issue through the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Christmas celebrations.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan strongly reacted against the threatening incident over the Christmas celebration and said the Sangh Parivar has been trying to create communal tension in Kerala for ages. The Christmas celebration in the Palakkad school was disrupted in the same manner as they do in North India, he alleged.
"The communal appeasement of the ruling CPI(M) has become a persuasion for the BJP to commit atrocities against minorities," Satheesan alleged.
The Palakkad school had witnessed the real face of the Sangh Parivar workers who go to the Christian homes with cakes during the time of Christmas. "They are like wolves in sheep's clothing", he further charged.
Such incidents would not be allowed to repeat in Kerala, the LoP said, adding that a strong stand would be taken against it.
The workers of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), youth organisation associated with CPI(M), and the Youth Congress organised Christmas celebrations, including carols, in the school premises as a mark of protest against the threatening act of the VHP workers.
K Anilkumar, V Susasanan, and K Velayudhan, local activists of the VHP, were arrested by Chittoor police for allegedly threatening teachers in connection with the Christmas celebration on Friday at Nallepilly Government Upper Primary School in Palakkad.
According to the complaint filed by school authorities, the three allegedly disrupted the school's Christmas celebrations, questioning teachers and students about their attire for the Christmas carol and verbally abusing the teachers in front of the students.
The three persons were arrested on Saturday after booking them under charges of disrupting the duty of public servants and threatening, police had said.
Meanwhile, a symbolic crib, erected by children and teachers in another school located at Thathamangalam in Palakkad as part of the Christmas celebration, was found destroyed on Monday morning.
School authorities said the crib and other decorations were placed inside the building, which was locked as it was a holiday.
State minister K Krishnankutty, who visited the school later in the day, said the crib was deliberately destroyed by someone, and a probe would be carried out into the incident.
A special police team would investigate both these incidents and find out whether the same persons were behind it, he added.
As the issue triggered a widespread protest, the VHP state leadership clarified that they were not against any religion and the outfit would face the case legally. In a statement issued in Kochi, VHP state president Viji Thampi and General Secretary V R Rajasekharan admitted that the district office bearers of the outfit had questioned the teachers in connection with the organisation of the Christmas celebration at Nallepilly School.
When the local leaders asked whether the school had permission to organise religious functions like this and whether they would celebrate Sri Krishna Jayanti and nabidinam like this, one of the teachers said they would do whatever they like, it said.
When they brought the matter in front of the school principal, she had admitted the mistake and the issue was over there, the VHP leadership claimed in the statement. However, some local leaders of the Left and teachers' outfit had lodged a police complaint in this regard later, the VHP added in the statement.
