Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Jun 29: Telangana Police on Monday took BJP leader Mandula Balu into custody in connection with the alleged assault on a private school principal in Nizamabad district, days after a video of the incident triggered widespread public outrage and demands for strict action.

Balu, the BJP's Armoor town president, was detained from a guest house in Ankapoor, reportedly owned by Armoor BJP MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy. A large police team escorted him from the premises after he and his supporters attempted to resist the operation.

The BJP leader later criticised the police action, describing it as excessive and unfair.

The controversy stems from an incident on June 27 at Bharat Chandra School in Armoor, where Balu allegedly slapped principal Amer Khan during a heated confrontation over the teaching of Urdu as a second language. The assault, which reportedly took place in the presence of a police officer, was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, drawing sharp criticism over both the attack and the alleged inaction of the police at the time.

Several Congress leaders, including national spokesperson Shama Mohamed, condemned the incident and demanded action against both the BJP leader and the police personnel who were present during the episode.

According to BJP leaders, local parents had raised objections after alleging that the newly appointed Urdu teacher was not only teaching the language but also introducing Namaaz and other religious practices to Hindu students.

The school management rejected these allegations, stating that Urdu had been introduced solely as an optional second language following requests from a section of parents. School correspondent Mallayya clarified that the teacher had conducted only a few introductory classes focused on the Urdu alphabet.

Principal Amer Khan explained that the management had intended to establish a separate section for Urdu classes, but the newly appointed teacher, unaware of those arrangements, temporarily conducted a combined class for students.

He further stated that after objections were raised by some parents, the school discontinued the Urdu classes. Despite that, he alleged that Balu and his supporters entered the school premises, assaulted him and created a disturbance.

Khan also claimed that following the incident, he was taken to the police station and remained there until evening.

Based on a complaint lodged by school correspondent Mallayya, police registered an FIR against Mandula Balu and others under charges including criminal trespass, voluntarily causing hurt and mischief.

In a separate development, Armoor Tahsildar Satyanarayana filed a counter-complaint against principal Amer Khan and the school correspondent under Section 196 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to promoting enmity between different groups.

The incident also sparked political reactions. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury defended the teaching of Urdu, describing it as an integral part of Telangana's cultural and historical heritage.

In a post on social media, she said Urdu is a rich language that has shaped the state's history and culture for generations and asserted that no political party has the authority to prevent its teaching. She also shared a poem celebrating Urdu as a language that belongs to all Indians, irrespective of religion.

Police said further investigation into the incident is underway.