One after the other, shocking revelations are being made in the Damoh School Hijab controversy as a Bhopal connection has emerged in the matter. Bhopal Municipal Corporation during its investigation has identified properties in the Ashoka Garden area owned by one Mohammad Rasheed. It has been revealed that Mohammad Rasheed is a relative of Haji Mohammad Idris Khan, administrator of the controversial Ganga Jamuna School. The identified properties include a garments shop, a guesthouse and a hostel.
According to a Nai Dunia report, Bhopal Municipal Corporation officials said that a probe is underway into Rasheed’s property in Ward No. 69 Ashoka Garden region of Zone No. 09. A notice about the properties has also been put up. Tax and property details have also been sought under section 138 of the Madhya Pradesh Nagar Palika Nigam Act 1956. The identified properties include Shri Ram Boys Hostel and Guest House. This hostel is run on a rental basis. In the hostel, there are some pamphlets and instructions in Urdu.
The Municipal Corporation team arrived on Saturday to investigate the property, taxes and building permits, but no accountable person was found in the hostel. When the residents in the vicinity were questioned, no specific information was obtained. Except for the first floor, the other floors of the hostel were locked.
Moreover, the readymade garments shop is also closed for several days. The corporation on Saturday pasted notices on the properties in question demanding a response within three days. In addition, a warning of unilateral action has been issued for failure to respond promptly.
In its notice served to the Ganga Jamna group, the Municipal Corporation asked for a copy of the receipts of deposit for the year 1975-76 in the State Property Tax Department, certified documents and a map of the purchase letter of the building and land. The Corporation additionally sought details regarding the documents related to the division of the building, the death certificate of the person involved in the property matter, religious, public, and trust-related documents related to tax exemption, and documents.
“BMC administration has served notice under Section 138 of MP Municipal Corporation Act on plot no-21,” stated Zonal Officer (zone 9) Abhishek Shrivastava. Ganga Jamna group has boys’ hostel and garment showroom on the main road.”
The controversy in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, erupted when Hindu and Jain girls were seen wearing hijabs on the posters of meritorious students from a private school named Ganga Jamna School. The school administrator Haji Mohammad Idris then tried to mislead the matter calming that the students were wearing scarves and not hijabs. The DM also dismissed the assertions after a probe, claiming that they were simply rumours and that there was nothing untoward discovered during the initial enquiries.
However, Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar revealed that Damoh Collector Mayank Agarwal is trying to save the District Education Officer (DEO) SK Mishra who is found guilty as per the prima facie information obtained. The Minister also confirmed that the state government would take action against the DEO and remove him from his post amid a comprehensive investigation that is being conducted against him.
During the investigation, the SCPCR found that Ayats and lessons from the Quran were imprinted on every wall of the school. Every girl student was made to wear a hijab and they had been taught to greet the teachers with ‘Assalam Walikum..’ and not Good Morning.
The students at the school were also asked to recite three Islamic prayers followed by the National Anthem during the assembly every day. The prayer included ‘Lab pe aati hai dua..’ by Allama Muhammad Iqbal who had advocated the formation of a separate nation for Muslims in the form of Pakistan in 1930.
