TN Education Dept transfers CEO over talk by controversial speaker

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu School Education Department on Tuesday transferred Chief Educational Officer (CEO) S. Mars to the Thanjavur library following a recent talk delivered by a guest speaker Mahavishnu at the state government higher secondary schools at Ashok Nagar and Saidapet.

Educational Department has appointed Tamil Nadu State Parent-Teacher Association Secretary J. Angelo Irudhayasamy, as in charge till further orders.

The spiritual speaker Mahavishnu had during his talk in the school “humiliated” a visually challenged teacher during his address at Saidapet school. The speaker had spoken about the past life and the teacher had confronted this.

Another video of Mahavishnu arguing with a differently abled person has gone viral.

The spiritual speaker was arrested on September 7 and was booked under five provisions of the Bharatiua Nyaya Sanhita. This include Sections 196(1) (a)( Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony)

Sections 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 92(a) Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (Punishment for offences of atrocities. Whoever intentionally insults or intimidates with intent to humiliate a person with disability in any place within public view)

The video of Mahavishnu of Paramporul foundation arguing with the visually-challenged teacher among students in a government school was removed from YouTube following a request from the Chennai city police.

Mahavishnu was arrested by Saidapet Police following public outrage over the humiliation meted out to the visually-challenged teacher in the latter institution when he confronted Mahavishnu recently for preaching unscientific thoughts about his past life.

His arrest came following a complaint filed by N. Vijayaraj of Saidapet against Mahavishnu for giving a speech at a function in the Saidapet Government School on August 28 last month.

The complainant alleged that Mahavishnu had demeaned and abused the differently-abled teacher.