Teacher thrashed for misconduct

ANANTAPUR: Allegations of a school teacher misbehaving with a girl student led to clashes and fistfights between two groups on Saturday while political parties also jumped into the fray with dharnas and rallies.It was alleged that Tippeswamy, headmaster of an Urdu School attached to the New Town Government Junior College in Anantapur town, made some negative comments on the dress code of the girl students, who are mostly clad in burkhas. On Friday, he allegedly spoke in a vulgar manner to a 10th class girl student.On Saturday, when the girl’s parents saw her hesitating to go to school, they coaxed the incident out of the girl. Enraged, the girl’s parents, along with some MIM activists rushed to the school and thrashed Tippeswamy.Meanwhile, the students and teachers formed two groups, one supporting the girl and the other calling her allegation a concocted one. Both groups clashed with each other, attacking with chairs and damaging the furniture in the office rooms. One Town police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.Meanwhile, taking serious exception to the attack on Tippeswamy, government teachers in all schools in Anantapur town boycotted their duties and took out a protest rally, condemning the attack and demanding action against the attackers.YSR Congress party student wing activists also jumped into the fray and staged a dharna demanding action against the attackers. Police intervened when the activists tried to stage a rasta roko to disrupt traffic. They had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse them.