Muzaffarnagar School Matter Being 'Taken Seriously', FIR Registered: UP Deputy CM Pathak

In response to an incident that occurred on the Muzzafarnagar school premises, Uttar Pradesh's Tourism Minister, Jaiveer Singh, announced that the administration has taken swift action.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday (August 26) said that the government is committed to maintaining law and order in the state. Pathak stated that the issue is being treated with utmost seriousness, and an FIR (First Information Report) has been lodged in connection with the incident, which took place within the premises of a school in Muzaffarnagar.

"In every situation, we will maintain law and order in the state. The matter has been taken seriously and an FIR has been registered, he said, quoted by ANI. 

State Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh also said that swift action has been taken by the administration and an FIR has been officially lodged against the accused teacher involved in the incident. "Administration took action and an FIR was filed against the accused teacher. Stringent action will be taken in this regard," he was quoted as saying by PTI. 

In a viral video, a teacher (later identified as a Muzaffarnagar school teacher) instructed her students to hit a student one by one, referring to his Muslim faith - ostensibly because he miscalculated his multiplication tables.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Thursday in the village of Khubbapur, which is under the jurisdiction of the Mansurpur police station. Both the police and the education authorities are investigating Tripta Tyagi, the teacher, and Neha Public School, which she owns and where the incident occurred.

In the video, ordered by Tyagi, children walk up to him and slap the boy, who is in tears.

Earlier in the day, the school teacher stated that the viral video was edited and cut, and she had no intention of doing so. She further said that Hindus and Muslims in the area support unity. "The viral video was edited and cut; I had no such intentions...in our place, Hindus and Muslims remain united, and we have more Muslim students," the teacher told the news agency ANI. She stated that the child's parents put pressure on her to be strict with him because he had not done his homework for the previous two months.

"The child's parents put pressure on me to be strict with him. I can't get up because I'm disabled...He hadn't done his homework in two months..."So I made 2-3 students beat him up so he'd start doing his work," Tyagi said, according to ANI. 

The father of the child seen in the video being beaten by his classmates stated that the video was made by his nephew and that the teacher forced the students to beat the child repeatedly. He also claimed that the child was tortured for about an hour. The father went on to say that this is not a Hindu or Muslim issue, and that the law should take its course. 

The Muzaffarnagar Police has stated that a complaint has been lodged in the case and that action will be taken. Arvind Mallappa, DM of Muzaffarnagar, stated that the child seen in the viral video is receiving counselling sessions from the Child Welfare Committee.