Muslim parents oppose MR vaccination

More than 50 parents of Muslim students barged into the Shams English medium school at Hebale Jamiabad in the taluk and tried to assault the doctors and teachers there, alleging that the ongoing Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination drive was a conspiracy against the community.

The opposition by the parents continued on Monday also. On being informed, tahsildar V N Badarkar came to the school and tried to reason it out with the protestors. But the parents launched a diatribe against the tahsildar himself.

They charged that the vaccination drive was a conspiracy by the Union government and the RSS to control the Muslim population. No police complaint has been registered about the incident so far.

The tahsildar has warned against efforts to intimidate the teachers and doctors. He said the vaccination was compulsory for all students as part of a nationwide drive. More than 16,000 Hindu students have been vaccinated so far, Badarkar said, adding that efforts to convince the Muslim community members were on to clear their misconceptions.