New Delhi, March 19 – The Delhi government on Wednesday said it will take action against a top school in the national capital which is promoting a BJP membership drive among its teachers and students.
The management of the Ryan International School had confirmed the membership drive, but claimed it was “absolutely voluntary”. Calling the move dangerous, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “The schools in Delhi will not be allowed to promote political parties.
We will seek a response from the school and if any truth is found, there will be strong action against it.” A Times of India report quoted Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha president Kamaljeet Sehrawat as saying that the school’s Managing director Grace Pinto is now the Morcha’s national secretary.
The teachers and students also said the drive is not voluntary. They said they got WhatsApp messages giving them the toll-free number, 18002662020, meant for the BJP membership drive. When a message is sent to the number, the sender gets primary membership number which they are supposed to communicate to the school management.
“Every staff member, from school gardener to senior teachers, was asked to get 10 members. Forms of the BJP membership were distributed and party’s toll-free number was sent through WhatsApp,” a school staff is quoted as telling the TOI.
“Our March salaries were delayed and the administration staff has been asking us to give the forms, duly filled, back to them so that our salaries can be disbursed,” a teacher at the school told the newspaper, an allegations confirmed by other teachers at the Mayur Vihar, Rohini and Vasant Kunj branches of the school.
“My daughter told me about the forms being distributed in the school. Last week a message from her class teacher to the WhatsApp group for parents and teachers was sent asking us to call on the (toll-free) number and register. Initially, we thought it had something to do with the school but it turned out that it was for BJP’s membership registration and we didn’t want to register,” a parent told TOI.
The Ryan International School website says it has 133 schools across the country with over 2 lakh students. Staff members allege that the membership drive is being carried out in all the schools of the group.
-INDIA TODAY
