Muslim Women in Burqa Denied Entry at Kanpur School’s Parent-Teacher Meeting
School defends move citing identification concerns; incident sparks outrage over religious intolerance.
Kanpur: A private school in Kanpur’s Chakeri area has come under criticism after several Muslim women wearing burqas were denied entry during a parent-teacher meeting held at New Vision Inter College. The school allegedly asked the women to remove their veils before entering, triggering strong reactions from the parents and the wider public.
One of the parents, Rehana, told reporters:
“They asked us to take off our veils at the school gate. We waited outside with other mothers, but they didn’t let us in. We had no choice but to return home without attending the meeting.”
The affected women condemned the move, calling it an act of discrimination and a sign of growing intolerance towards Muslim identity and religious practices.
School Defends Decision
Rather than apologising, the school management stood by its action. The school principal justified the requirement, saying:
“Parents must remove face coverings for identification purposes before entering the school premises.”
The statement further inflamed tensions, with many pointing out that no formal rule mandates parents to unveil for school visits, especially during meetings that don’t involve examination security or high-level screening.
Police and MLA Step In
The incident attracted police attention after locals raised concerns. Officers, along with local MLA Hasan Rumi, intervened to ease the situation and mediate between the parents and school management.
In an official statement, a police spokesperson confirmed:
“After receiving information, we reached the school and spoke to both sides. The situation was brought under control. Appropriate action will be taken as per law.”
Online Backlash and Public Reactions
The incident has triggered widespread outrage on social media, with many users calling it an example of religious bias. Critics slammed the school for targeting Muslim women and questioned the justification provided by the administration.
“There’s no law in the country that asks a parent to unveil for a school meeting. This is outright discrimination,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Civil society groups and rights activists have also called for a formal inquiry and demanded that the school issue an apology and revise its visitor policies to ensure inclusivity and respect for religious freedom.
