Hindu activists attack missionary school

However,bowing to the pressure from the Right-wing activists,the police,who had filed a case against the principal on January 30,arrested 35-year-old Charuvil. He was later released on bail.

When the school was being vandalised,physical education teacher Arvind Gupta,who was the complainant in the case against the principal,was holding a press conference 10 km away,describing his side of the story. He claimed he did not know who the vandals were,but was present in the court when they applied for bail.

Gupta said he had an argument with the principal on January 26,as the principal wanted the school prayer to precede the national anthem after the flag hoisting. The 28-year-old claimed that once the flag was hoisted,he asked the school choir group to sing the national anthem even though the principal wanted to change the sequence. The choir group sang the anthem and so did students,but there was a gap of 30 seconds or so,Gupta claimed,because the principal intervened. He was so angry with me that he announced that I had been suspended immediately for three days and even threw away the mike, Gupta said of the incident.

Spokesperson of Catholic Church of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Fr Anand Mutthungal alleged that Gupta had cooked up the story. He was suspended because though he had the flag with him,but came late to school, he claimed. The minority community,he said,will protest against the vandalism and the principals arrest.