A mob of parents and suspected Hindu activists in the western Indian state of Maharashtra attacked a Christian principal of a private high school after it was alleged he asked his students to recite a Christian prayer.
Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) reports D.Y. Patil High School Principal Alexander Reid was assaulted by a group of parents and suspected members of the hardline Hindu organizations, Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal on July 4 at Ambi village in Talegaon Dabhade on the outskirts of Pune city.
The outlet reported a video of Reid’s assault went viral on July 5 as he was brutally attacked by a mob shouting “Har Har Mahadev” (hail Lord Shiva). Audio on the video clip reportedly captured the mob chanting as Reid ran to escape the group.
Talegaon Dabhade police inspector Ranjit Sawant told UCA News on July 7 that neither the school nor the principal had lodged any complaint against the people who assaulted the principal.
“Only some parents have given us a complaint against the principal and we have not yet filed a case against anyone,” Sawant said.
The inspector said the incident was still under investigation.
“We will take preventive action against those who assaulted the principal,” he added.
Sawant told UCA News that the Christian prayer some were referring to is “just a common prayer, which has the word ‘Dear Lord’ in it. It is even mentioned in the school diary carried by the students. But it reportedly does not refer to a Christian God.
The parents allege the prayer was taken from the Bible. But the inspector said it is not a prayer from the Bible.
In their complaint, the parents also maintain the school installed a security camera in the girls’ restroom. But the Sawant also dismissed this claim saying the camera is in the common area of the washroom near the wash basin.
The inspector told UCA News some of the parents and Hindu activists entered the school to see if a camera was installed in the girls’ restroom.
“When they saw the principal, they assaulted him and tore his clothes,” Sawant said.
The school, which has an enrollment of more than 1,300 students from three years of age to grade 12, remains closed until further notice.
Meanwhile, the principal told The Free Press Journal he is innocent.
“The management is on my side, they have asked me to hold on for a couple of days before saying anything about the matter. They will take care of me. I have nothing to fear,” he said.
Reid, who has been the principal at the school since it opened in 2017, told the outlet he did not file a police report against his attackers saying, “I am not that kind of person to go against my own people. I am very positive about this matter.”
According to The Journal, several students and parents have spoken out and publicly supported the principal.
In a post to Twitter, Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called the incident “disgraceful” and included a video of the mob chasing Reid in the school building.
“This is disgraceful. What gives Bajrang Dal the right to take violent action with such impunity? And how dare they claim to be defending Hinduism? No decent Hindu behaves like this,” he wrote.
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