Overview

• Baheri Police registered an FIR under Section 353(2) of the BNS accusing Dr Rajneesh Gangwar of promoting enmity and hurting religious sentiments by discouraging participation in the Kanwar Yatra during a July 12 school assembly.
• Gangwar issued a clarification and apology video on July 16, saying his intent was to reduce absenteeism and crowd-related risks and alleging that a 26-second excerpt was selectively edited to misrepresent his message.
• Authorities have not taken Gangwar into custody because his alleged offence carries a maximum three-year sentence, keeping him under investigation without arrest.
• Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav condemned the FIR as an infringement on education in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ era, and Azad Samaj Party’s Chandra Shekhar Aazad invoked Article 51A to defend the teacher’s appeal to scientific temper.
• On July 17, Gangwar filed a police complaint reporting social media calls for bodily harm and sought law enforcement protection.