New Delhi: The official handles of Sudarshan News and its editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke shared a video on Twitter of a teacher beating a Dalit student, claiming the teacher is Christian and is punishing the student for wearing a “rudraksha” (prayer beads worn by Hindus).
“This Hindu student is being beaten up in a government school in Tamil Nadu because he was wearing “Rudraksha”..!! Christian teacher brutally beat up the student and also banished him from school..!!” Chavhanke wrote on his Twitter.
This Hindu student is being beaten up in a government school in Tamil Nadu because he was wearing “Rudraksha”..!!
Christian teacher brutally beat up the student and also banished him from school..!!@mkstalin @PTI_News @BJP4TamilNadu @CMOTamilnadu pic.twitter.com/ao0nabdQTb
— Suresh Chavhanke “Sudarshan News” (@SureshChavhanke) October 17, 2021
Sudarshan News tweeted the same content in Hindi, adding, “Is this the secularism of your government?” while tagging Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin as well as BJP leaders.
तमिलनाडु के सरकारी स्कूल में इस हिंदू छात्र को इसलिए पीटा जा रहा है क्योंकि वह रुद्राक्ष पहने हुए था..!!
ईसाई शिक्षक ने छात्र की क्रूरता से पिटाई की तथा स्कूल से भी भगा दिया..!!@mkstalin यही है आपकी सरकार का सेक्यूलरिज्म ?@BJP4TamilNadu @annamalai_k @Narayanan3 pic.twitter.com/KsZTq6Skto
— Sudarshan News (@SudarshanNewsTV) October 16, 2021
Out of context commentary
But both Chavhanke and Sudarshan News have pulled the video out of context, adding a communal element that was never there to begin with.
The video is actually of a teacher named Subramanian, a Hindu man, who thrashed a Dalit student for skipping class. News of the incident, which took place in Cuddalore, surfaced on 14 October.
The teacher has since been booked under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Separate incident
In a separate incident, a Christian school teacher named Joyson from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu allegedly mocked students wearing the rudraksha, leading to parents to write a letter to the CM demanding action against him.
However, he didn’t inflict physical harm upon the students.
The opposition AIADMK’s spokesperson Kovai Sathyan tweeted in support of the parents, saying he “condemned” the incident.
வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறேன்.
சமூகநீதி, சமத்துவம் விடியல் எனும் பெயரில் பல்லிளித்த நேரம். இதற்கு நடவடிக்கை உண்டா இல்லை வழக்கம் போல் திசை திருப்பும் நாடகம்தானா மரியாதைக்குரிய முதல்வர் #ஸ்டாலின் அவர்களே. @mkstalin#CMOTamilnadu #ஸ்டாலின் #SocialJustice pic.twitter.com/n0hZzEywDf
— Kovai Sathyan (@KovaiSathyan) October 13, 2021
In collaboration with SM Hoaxslayer.
Also read: Chhattisgarh SUV attack at Durga event a communal ploy? BJP claim panned after suspects named