School in Hyderabad expels Hindu student for wearing Ayyappa Deeksha attire

Case Summary
A controversial incident in Hyderabad sparked outrage after a Hindu student was expelled for wearing an Ayyappa mala and attire at Delhi World Public School in Kompally. The school management reportedly refused to allow the student to enter the classroom, sending him home for wearing the traditional Hindu attire. A viral video of the incident fuelled public anger, with many Hindu groups condemning the school’s actions as a violation of religious freedom. Dr. Ravinuthala Shashidhar, a prominent social media figure, shared the video and questioned the fairness of the expulsion, urging legal action against the school. Hindu groups called on the police and authorities to investigate and hold the school accountable, warning that such actions could suppress religious practices in educational institutions. While the school did not issue an official statement, it reiterated its uniform policy, stating that students must adhere to the prescribed dress code, even for personal religious observances. The policy sparked further backlash, as Hindu groups felt it discriminated against Hindu practices. They argued that schools should embrace and respect religious diversity, particularly when it doesn’t cause harm or disruption.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, the school refused to grant entry into the classroom to Hindu children who were wearing the Ayyappa mala and the black attire that is worn by devotees who observe Ayyappa Deeksha. The move by the school created outrage among Hindus who claimed that this action was driven by prejudice against the Hindu faith. This is not the first time such controversy has erupted. In 2022, a massive controversy had erupted after Muslim women had insisted that they should be allowed to wear Burqas and Hijabs in their schools and classrooms. At that time, the argument that was given by several politicians, social commentators, Hindu activists and even the Judiciary, was that schools have the right to enforce uniform rules, since wearing uniforms bring harmony and equality in the classroom, and therefore, schools not allowing girls to wear hijab in the classroom is not religious discrimination, but merely an enforcement of widely accepted uniform norms. In this case, similar logic can be employed. The school not allowing the Hindu children to wear the black Ayyappa Deeksha attire could simply be enforcement of the uniform rules and not necessarily an act of religious prejudice. Let us assume that school was allowing Muslim women to wear Hijab and disallowing Hindus kids to wear the religious attire - that would certainly amount to a hate crime because it would display their double standards and discrimination against Hindus. In this case, that does not seem to be true, at least from the available information. For that reason, this case is being added to the undecided database. if more information emerges, it would be added to the hate crime database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown