Hyderabad: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has strongly condemned a forced religious instruction at Success School in Hyderabad’s Old City, demanding cancellation of the school’s recognition and an immediate government inquiry into the incident.
Addressing the media, ABVP State Secretary Macherla Rambabu said that asking a Class II Hindu student of Success School to write the Kalma and Surah Al-Fatihah as part of homework raises serious concerns that schools are being turned into centres for religious conversion.
He questioned under which syllabus the Kalma is prescribed for teaching or writing and asked the Telangana Education Department to explain how such content found its way into classroom instruction.
Rambabu said this was not the first such incident. He recalled that, in the past, Minority Gurukul Secretary Shafeevulla had issued an official circular directing students to recite the Kalma during prayer sessions and that religious instructors were paid salaries from government funds.
He further said that Minority Gurukul institutions educate not only Muslim minority students but also students from other minority communities and Hindus, and alleged that government-funded institutions were being used for religious conversions. Rambabu expressed concern that the same trend had now spread to private schools.
#SHOCKING | Hindu student reportedly ordered to recite the Islamic Kalma in Hyderabad!
The management of Success School in Saidabad, Hyderabad’s Old City, reportedly ordered a Class 2 Hindu student to recite the Kalma.
Following this, the student’s parents reached the school… pic.twitter.com/GoBs2f4HDi
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) July 16, 2026
The ABVP leader criticised the Education Department and the Education Minister for remaining silent despite such incidents. He said appeasement politics had influenced the education system and claimed that incidents of this nature had increased after the Congress government assumed office in Telangana. He also alleged that religious fundamentalist forces had gained influence within the Education Department.
Demanding immediate action, Rambabu urged the Education Minister to order a thorough inquiry into the incident, cancel the recognition of Success School and ensure that such incidents do not recur.
The controversy erupted after a Class II Hindu student of Success School, Saidabad, was reportedly assigned homework to read and write the Kalma and Surah Al-Fatihah. Following the controversy, the school terminated the teacher concerned.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said, “Hindu students being forced to recite the Kalma in school is a dangerous and unacceptable act. This is a direct assault on the freedom of religion and cannot be brushed aside.” He demanded that the Telangana government immediately take strict action against the management of Success School.
Hindu students being forced to recite the Kalma in school is a dangerous and unacceptable act.
This is a direct assault on the freedom of religion and cannot be brushed aside.
Telangana Government must immediately take strict action against the management of Success School,… pic.twitter.com/YoD04f68ab
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) July 16, 2026
VHP National Spokesperson Dr Shashidhar termed the Saidabad incident part of what he called “School Jihad” and demanded the arrest of the school management and cancellation of the school’s recognition. Referring to another controversy involving Sri Chaitanya School, where class sections were reportedly named after “Mughals”, he said the VHP would file a complaint before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and urged parents to monitor what was being taught to their children.
సైదాబాద్ సక్సెస్ స్కూల్ ఘటన 'స్కూల్ జీ_హాద్'లో భాగం. యాజమాన్యాన్ని అరెస్ట్ చేసి, గుర్తింపు రద్దు చేయాలి. శ్రీచైతన్య స్కూల్లో విద్యార్థుల క్లాస్ సెక్షన్లకు 'మొఘల్స్' అని పేరు పెట్టారు.
ఈ స్కూల్ మరియు కల్చరల్ జి_హాద్లపై NCPCRకు ఫిర్యాదు చేస్తాం. తల్లిదండ్రులారా, పిల్లలకు ఏం… pic.twitter.com/1Z53zbuTVx— Dr.Ravinuthala Shashidhar (@shashidhar147) July 16, 2026
Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri also reacted on X, stating, “From Pahalgam to Hyderabad… the geography is different, but the pattern is alarmingly similar.” He said assigning the Kalma and Surah Al-Fatihah to a Class II Hindu student amounted to an attempt to brainwash children and demanded that the Telangana government register an FIR against those responsible, adding that termination of the teacher alone was not an adequate response.
When Revanth Reddy said, “Congress is Muslim and Muslim is Congress,” it was not merely a statement. He meant that Congress would prioritise the welfare of Muslims and leave others abandoned.
Forcing innocent Hindu children to read Kalma in school is no less serious than… https://t.co/2LuOR1LZKe
— Arvind Dharmapuri (@Arvindharmapuri) July 16, 2026
He further stated, “Forcing innocent Hindu children to read Kalma in school is no less serious than terrorists forcing Hindu tourists in Pahalgam to read Kalma.”
The Success School episode is the second education-related controversy to emerge in Hyderabad within a week. While the government responded to the Kalma homework row by terminating the teacher concerned, Shantiniketan High School, in Doodhbowli, old city Hyderabad, issued a detailed clarification on July 14 over a separate controversy involving an NGO representative who addressed students during the morning assembly.
As per details, on July 8, Shantiniketan High School permitted an NGO representative to briefly address students on the theme of “Humanity and World Peace” in connection with the funeral of children killed in a girls’ primary school tragedy in Minab, southern Iran. During the address, the guest distributed paper Iranian flags and displayed a poster without the school’s prior approval, leading to criticism after videos of the event circulated on social media.
What’s going on in Telangana?
Just yesterday we saw that Tulasi Chandu is preaching nonsense to kids in a school and today this.Revanthudhin has completely bowed down to Razakar owaisis.
In a school, kid’s minds are poisoned by instilling dangerous jargon about Iran’s slain… pic.twitter.com/LmaWaImGBm
— Tathvam-asi (@tathvamasi6) July 11, 2026
In a clarification issued on July 14, the school management said the speech was confined to condolences, humanity, world peace and historical India-Iran cultural relations, with no mention of any political leader or political discourse. It stated that the Iranian flags and poster had been brought by the guest without the school’s knowledge, were taken back after the programme, and described the social media narrative as fabricated and inaccurate. The school also apologised if the incident had unintentionally hurt public sentiments and appealed against the spread of misinformation.
Critics argued that Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who projects himself as a champion of religious freedom, has remained silent on the Success School controversy. They further alleged that AIMIM leaders, who often take to the streets to protest and play the victim card whenever Muslims are accused of violating the law, are now maintaining a conspicuous silence.
