Maharashtra: School owned by Congressi under probe after video shows students dancing to Jihadi song ‘Gustakh-e-Nabi Ki Ek Saja, Sar Tan Se Juda’ with terrorist’s image in background

Children dancing on Pakistani song with Mumtaz Qadri's photo in the background. (Image via NDTV)

A video from the annual function of Kids World English School in Partur town of Maharashtra’s Jalna district has sparked controversy after it went viral on social media. The video shows school children performing with dummy swords to the Pakistani song “Gustakh-e-Nabi Ki Ek Saja”. Social media users also pointed out that a photograph appearing in the background resembles Pakistani terrorist Mumtaz Qadri.

The phrase “Gustakh-e-Nabi Ki Ek Saja, Sar Tan Se Juda” means ‘There is only one punishment for insulting the Prophet, separation of the head from the body’. The song promotes beheading anyone accused of blasphemy of the Prophet Muhammad.

Police have launched a probe into the case and started to question the school authorities. However, no case has been registered till now.

After the video gained attention online, the police started looking into the matter. School owner Tariq Siddiqui is being questioned to understand how the performance was planned and approved. Notably, as per his social media profiles, Tariq Siddiqui is also a leader of the Congress party.

Speaking on the issue, Additional Superintendent of Police Vikram Sali said, “In this matter, we have given an inquiry to the Police official of Partur Police Station and the SDPO of Partur Division. The investigation has just begun. The report will be released soon, and further proceedings will be carried out. We are inquiring about all the facts that have come on social media. If there is any truth in any of the facts, we will take legal action on it soon.”

Police officials are examining all aspects of the programme and will decide on further action after receiving the inquiry report.

The controversy grew further after claims emerged that the background screen displayed the image of Mumtaz Qadri, a former Pakistani police commando.

Qadri had shot and killed Salman Taseer, the Governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, in 2011. Taseer had spoken in support of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Taseer also supported the mercy petition filed by Bibi. Mumtaz Qadri was a bodyguard of Salman Taseer, and he shot the governor 27 times with an AK-47 rifle.

Qadri threw his weapon after the attack, and he was later convicted and executed by Pakistani authorities in 2016. Despite his execution, some radical groups in Pakistan continue to glorify him. Over 500 Islamic clerics had supported the murder of Taseer and boycotted his funeral.

The appearance of a person linked to such an incident at a school function has raised concerns among citizens, education activists, and social commentators.

School management responds, threatens FIR for posting video

The school management has said that the viral video is around two years old. According to the institution, the LED screen and stage display arrangements were handled by an outside contractor during the event.

School representatives told NDTV Marathi that they cannot confirm whose photograph appeared on the screen during the programme. They said the visual content shown on the display was not directly controlled by the school. Later, the school authorities claimed that the visuals were from the Turkish series “Ertugrul,” an Islamic propaganda series that has beheading visuals.

Shockingly, the school has also threatened police action against the social media account Treeni for posting the video on X. The school has deleted its YouTube channel after the video posted on the channel was pointed out by Treeni and then picked up by others.

Kids World English School is reported to be affiliated with the CBSE board. Following the circulation of the video, demands have been made to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Director General of Police (DGP) Maharashtra, and the Superintendent of Police, Jalna, to investigate the matter and take appropriate action if any wrongdoing is found.

Reports also suggest that videos of school functions that were available on the institution’s YouTube channel are no longer accessible. However, clips and screen recordings from the programme continue to circulate widely on social media.

The police inquiry is currently underway, and officials have said further action will depend on the findings of the investigation.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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