Uttar Pradesh News: Bareilly Teacher Booked For Poem Discouraging Kanwar Yatra; Opposition Slams FIR As Attack On Education In 'Amrit Kaal'

Bareilly: A government school teacher in Bareilly has landed in controversy after reciting a poem advising children not to join the Kanwar Yatra. Dr. Rajneesh Gangwar, a Hindi lecturer at MGM Inter College, was booked under IPC sections for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after a complaint by a local Hindu outfit.

The poem, read during school assembly on July 12, advised students: “Tum Kanwar lene mat jana, gyaan ka deep jalaana.” Soon after, Mahakal Seva Samiti’s Sachin Prajapati lodged an FIR at Baheri police station, accusing the teacher of insulting Hindu beliefs. “Saying ‘mat jana’ about the Kanwar Yatra is a direct insult to our faith,” he claimed.

Following the FIR, the school administration sought a written explanation from Dr. Gangwar. The teacher clarified that his poem was meant to discourage younger students from skipping classes for unsafe crowd activities and not intended to insult any religion.

He said that the case was politically motivated and that he was being targeted for promoting critical thinking. “When ministers make religious remarks, no FIR is filed. But teachers are hounded,” he stated.

The case quickly took a political turn. Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav questioned the BJP government’s intent, asking whether FIRs on educators and school closures reflect the promise of "Amrit Kaal".

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Meanwhile, student testimonials added fuel, with one claiming the teacher said Kanwar participants become addicts a line now central to the dispute. Right-wing groups have escalated their rhetoric, branding the teacher as having “jihadi” and “anti-Hindu” leanings.

"Amrit Kaal is here"

“Teachers are being booked, schools are shutting down. Is this the BJP’s vision of Amrit Kaal? Education is being stifled while hatred is being encouraged. This is not governance, it’s repre- ssion.” Akhilesh Yadav