Begusarai stripping incident blot on India's image: Women activist

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 19 (ANI): Condemning the recent Bihar's Begusari incident of stripping and parading of two minor girls, women activist has said the horrendous incident is a blot on India's image. "I think this incident of stripping naked two girls and parading them in Begusarai is not only a blot on India, but it destroys the image of Indian's across the world, especially when we are talking of initiatives like Beti Bacho, Beti Padhao," women activist Abha Singh told ANI. Singh called on the state government to take stern action against the school administration and book them under Section 9 (u) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012. "Where would the girl have education if the father could not pay the fees? They could have called the father to school or there are so many welfare schemes. They could have written to the state government for some scholarship, rather than doing that the school authority stripped them," she said. Earlier on Friday, two young girls were stripped and thrown out of their school in Begusarai as their father was unable to pay the fee for their school uniform on time. One of the girls was a Class I student while the elder one was in Class II. The incident came to light when the father of one of the students Chunchun Sah went to pick up his daughter after school, where a teacher asked him to bring in the money for the uniforms immediately. The school, B.R. Education Academy, in Sikraula village in Koriya panchayat, had provided school uniforms to the two girls who were supposed to pay for them. "I pleaded for some time to deposit the fee, but the teacher stripped my daughters on the spot in front of everyone," Sah told ANI. He then went to the police and an FIR was lodged. The principal and a female teacher of the school have been arrested, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rajesh Kumar said. State Education Minister Ashok Choudhary termed the incident as insensitive and said that stern action would be taken against the school and the culprits. (ANI)