A private school in Kanpur of Uttar Pradesh has been reportedly found asking Hindu students to recite Islamic Kalma as part of morning prayer. The practice came to light when parents of the Hindu students studying in Florets International School raised their opposition against their children being forced to recite Islamic prayers. Speaking to Republic TV, Ankit Gupta, the parent of a child said,

“One day my daughter said that she is unable to learn this (Kalma). We filed the complaint in school. They asked us to give a written notice. In another branch, they sing Muslim prayers on speakers. We will put our child in a different school if this is the case.”

The school’s management was questioned by the police after the parents filed a complaint with the police. Following this, only the national anthem was recited on Monday morning. The school had the ritual of reciting the Gayatri Mantra, Sikh Gurbani, Islamic verses, and other religious verses in the morning assembly. As informed by the school principal, only the national anthem is now being sung during morning prayers, following the outrage by parents against the Islamic Kalma.