Publisher, School Principal Held for Using Books with Prophet Mohammed's Image
Hyderabad: The principal of St Mark’s Boys Town Primary School in Jahanuma of Kalapather in the Old City, Shiva Reddy, publisher A. Ravi Reddy of Amigos Academic Creative and books supplier K. Srinivas Reddy were arrested for issuing textbooks carrying purported ‘images’ of Prophet Mohammed.
The arrests came after about 800 Muslims, early on Monday, staged a protest on the school premises against the school management for issuing social studies textbooks carrying the image to students of Class 4.
As the protesters tried to barge into the school, senior police officials, including city additional commissioner Vikram Singh Mann and south zone additional commissioner Shaik Jahangir, stepped in and pacified them by promising to take action against the school and the publisher.
On a complaint from Moulana Saif Pasha Baqari, president of Bazm-e-Tariq, the police registered a case and lodged an FIR under for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and insulting someone intentionally to provoke them, with the knowledge leading to provocation against the trio.
“I appreciate and thank city police for their spontaneous action to maintain peace,” Moulana Saif said.
South zone additional police commissioner Shaik Jahangir said: “We controlled the aggressive mob and assured them that stern action will be taken against the persons responsible with a detailed investigation” and announced the arrest of the trio.
“These sort of improper publications and circulation of study material not only hurt Muslim’s religious sentiments but can create disturbances. We thank senior police officials for responding in the late hours and demand stern action against the publishers, distributors and the school management,” Mohammed Hassan Quadri, a religious leader, said.
Amigos Academic Creative Education owner A. Ravi Reddy apologised for the improper publication. “It’s a major blunder. I apologise before Muslim community. We will stop the distribution immediately,” he said.
Special police teams seized the entire publication and the printing press in the city and Visakhapatnam. The teams also raided a school in Uppal and seized the books.
