Kasaragod: A massive wave of protest has erupted against the government and the Department of Education for suspending a teacher after a school quiz competition included a question favoring V.D. Savarkar. BJP activists marched toward a public event featuring Minister for General Education N. Shamsudeen, raising slogans against the minister and the government. Demanding the revocation of teacher Guruprasad’s suspension, they strongly criticized the government’s anti-national actions. Although police and Muslim League activists attempted to use force to remove the protesting BJP workers and create tension, the situation did not escalate as BJP members maintained restraint.
The protest was led by BJP District President M.L. Ashwini against Public Education Minister N. Shamsudeen, who arrived to inaugurate the new building of Kumbla GHSS. They demanded the withdrawal of the suspension of Guruprasad, a teacher at Badiadka Pallathadukka AUP School, who was penalized for including V.D. Savarkar’s name in an Independence Day quiz competition. When the protesters attempted to move closer to the minister’s venue, police intervened and forcefully removed them.
Meanwhile, a minor scuffle broke out when Muslim League and MSF activists also arrived shouting slogans. BJP district president M.L. Ashwini led a blockade of the police vehicle carrying the arrested BJP workers. Ashwini pointed out that the government took hasty action against Guruprasad simply because he is a nationalist, and that the name “Savarkar” was their actual problem.
She told media persons that strong protests would continue in the coming days. Following their removal from the vicinity of the venue, BJP activists shifted their protest in front of the Kumbla police station. BJP district general secretary P.R. Sunil and Yuva Morcha district president Ashwin Kollai were among those arrested by the police.
Separately, a protest march to Bela Welfare School was organized under the leadership of the BJP Badiadka Mandal Committee, boycotting the school’s new building inauguration ceremony. The march was led by Mandal President Gopalakrishnan and attended by prominent local leaders, mandal general secretaries, panchayat presidents, and district members.
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