Allahabad school bans national anthem, Centre says won't accept insult

New Delhi, Aug. 8 (ANI): With a private school in Allahabad banning singing of the national anthem saying the stanza 'Bharat bhagya vidhata' is "against tenets of Islam", Minister of State for Human Resource Development Mahendra Nath Pandey on Monday said the government would not accept the insult to the national anthem. Pandey, however, said though the matter was related to Uttar Pradesh, his ministry would take all possible action if such types of incidents happen under it. Reportedly, the school, which never allowed the singing of the national anthem terming it "anti-Islamic", has been shut down and its manager has been arrested after several teachers resigned over the issue. Ritu Tripathi, principal of the school, told ANI on Sunday that she went to the school management seeking their permission to organise events like singing of national anthem and 'Saraswati Vandana' for the August 15 function, but she was told that such events had not been organised since the school was established, and thus, it won't be done this year too. She said when she asked the reason behind the denial of permission the management told her that they had an issue with 'one line in the national anthem' i.e. 'Bharat bhagya vidhata'. The principal said the management told her that "it's a person who makes his destiny and not a nation". The school management has reportedly asked the students not to sing national anthem as they feel 'Bharat bhagya vidhata' stanza is "against Islam". Eight teachers of the school have reportedly been resigned from the school, which is allegedly not even registered or accredited to any board. (ANI)