'Mothers Won't Pardon BSY': Siddaramaiah Calls for Review of 'Antiquated Laws' over Bidar School Row

Bengaluru: Nearly two weeks after Nazbunissa, the mother of an 11-year-old girl, and headmistress of a school in Bidar were arrested and slapped with sedition charges over the enactment of a play against the controversial CAA, former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called for a review of the Indian Penal Code and the “antiquated laws” in light of the issue.

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah blasted at the Karnataka police and Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa for “separating a mother and her daughter”, stating the arrest of the two women “unconstitutional".

The Congress stalwart questioned the sedition charges leveled against the school in Bidar for a play criticising PM Modi. “The content (of the play) was critical of Narendra Modi & his policies. How can that amount to sedition? The arrest of the mother is unconstitutional & high-handed (SIC),” he said.

Mothers of Karnataka will not pardon CM Yediyurappa for separating the mother and her daughter, said Siddaramaiah in his tirade.

The three-time Karnataka CM and a former advocate went on to throw light on the need for a thorough review of medieval laws to prevent any misuse.

“Police have taken the action on the behest of @CMofKarnataka @BSYBJP. Yediyurappa has fallen for the trap of @AmitShah & @narendramodi. He seems to have lost his common sense. Archaic IPC & other antiquated laws which was framed a century ago have also to be reviewed (SIC),” he said.

The district court will pronounce its order on the bail plea of Nazbunissa and the headmistress on Friday. Another PIL seeking quashing of the sedition charges will also be heard at the Bengaluru Bench of the Karnataka High Court on Friday.

On January 21, students of the primary section of Shaheen School had staged a play that allegedly had anti-CAA dialogues.

A man, named Nilesh Rakshyal, filed a complaint with police stating the play was disrespectful towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and could disturb peace in society. He said the play could a wrong message about the government and its policies and decisions.

Local cadres of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) then staged a protest outside the school and submitted a memorandum to the state home minister seeking action against the institute’s authorities.

Soon after, the principal and student’s mother were arrested and children who took part in the play were repeatedly questioned. Reports of police excesses in the interrogation of the students for over five days have led to massive criticism against the state’s handling of the case.

The ABVP, the student outfit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), then released a statement seeking government intervention into the matter.

The statement read, “The act of police questioning and interrogating innocent children is condemnable. The ABVP demands the state's intervention and justice for the children. The culprits should be punished at the earliest.”

Meanwhile, state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao expressed concern over the two-week imprisonment of two women.

“It’s so sad to see that learned judges don’t seem to understand when, where & on whom the #Sedition laws can be made applicable. The govt prosecutor is making wild claims. But the two women, a head mistress & a student’s mother remain in prison,” Rao said on Twitter.