Madhya Pradesh HC stays suspension of Ratlam principal suspended over notebooks with Savarkar’s image.

Source – indiatoday.in

The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the suspension of the principal of a government-run school at Malwasa in Ratlam district, action against whom was taken over distribution of notebooks carrying the picture of Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar on the cover.

Principal R N Kerawat was suspended by Ujjain Divisional Commissioner on January 14 — over two months after the notebooks were distributed to the students of his school by a private NGO.

While staying the suspension, Judge SC Sharma observed that “the fact remains that the petitioner has been suspended only because notebooks containing photographs of a freedom fighter were distributed in the school by an NGO”.

The judge observed: “Prima Facie, the order appears to be bad in law. If notebooks containing photographs of a freedom fighter have been distributed, it is certainly not a misconduct.” The court has now listed the matter for March 30.

The suspension of the principal had triggered a war of words between the opposition BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, with the BJP accusing the Kamal Nath government of playing “petty politics”, while the ruling party maintaining that the action was a part of “discipline”.

BJP national vice president and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, strongly objected to the action against Kerawat.

Taking to Twitter, he said, “I am disturbed after hearing the news of suspension of a principal (Kerawat), who was honoured with the President’s Award and ensured hundred per cent result in the examinations. It is very sad and condemnable. I strongly condemn this petty politics and demand his reinstatement.”

In another tweet, Chouhan said, “Kamal Nath ji, you have been completely blinded by your hatred towards Veer Savarkar. You are insulting the great personalities of your own country because of the Congress thoughts. The state is embarrassed by your act.”

However, the state Congress hit back saying there was nothing political in this action.

“Suspension of Malwasa’s high school principal has nothing to do with politics. It is a matter of discipline and government rules,” Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said.