BJP membership row: Delhi govt slaps notice on Ryan International school

New Delhi: Delhi government on Wednesday slapped a show cause notice to a well-known private school and ordered a probe against it following reports that its management had asked teachers and students to take membership of BJP. [caption id=“attachment_2160585” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PTI[/caption] A senior official at the Education Department said Ryan International school has been asked to file reply to the showcause notice within three days and a probe has already been initiated against it. The action against the school, which has campuses in Vasant Kunj, Rohini and Mayur Vihar, came following direction by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who also holds the Education portfolio. The schools allegedly asked its staff including teachers and students to take membership of BJP. When contacted, senior executive at Ryan International’s head-office in Mumbai, Niti Srinivasan said, “no drive asking students and teachers to join BJP was initiated in any of the group’s schools.” Srinivasan, however, added that the schools had only supported government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. When asked about the government’s action, the school authorities at Rohini and Vasant Kunj campuses refused to comment. Education department officials said focus of its probe was on whether the school authorities had asked staff including the teachers, and students to take BJP membership. As per Ryan International School website, the group has a total of 106 educational institutions in 15 states. The Group had started its first school in Mumbai in 1976. Srinivasan said the school authorities in Delhi will send letters to parents to clarify the issue. PTI