Telangana Police on Monday, 29 June took into custody Mandula Balu, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Armoor town unit in Nizamabad district, for allegedly assaulting the principal of a private school over the teaching of Urdu as a second language. The arrest came after widespread public outrage, fuelled by a video of the assault that circulated widely on social media.

How the Incident Unfolded

Balu and his supporters reportedly barged into Bharat Chandra School in Armoor on 27 June and confronted the school administration over Urdu being taught to students. During the altercation, Balu allegedly slapped school principal Amer Khan and verbally abused him — in the presence of a police officer who did not intervene. That inaction by the officer compounded the public fury.

The video of the assault spread rapidly, drawing condemnation from political leaders and civil society. Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed was among those who demanded action against both Balu and the police officer on duty.

The Custody and Resistance

Police personnel located Balu at a guest house in Ankapoor, reportedly owned by Paidi Rakesh Reddy, the BJP Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Armoor Assembly constituency. A team physically removed Balu from the premises and took him away. Balu and his supporters attempted to resist the police. Balu himself described the police action as 'cruel.'

What the School Said

The school management — headed by Hindus, according to school correspondent Mallayya — denied allegations that the Urdu teacher was instructing students in religious practices such as Namaaz. Mallayya stated that Urdu was introduced as a second language following requests from a section of parents, and that the teacher had only covered the Urdu alphabet in a couple of classes.

Principal Amer Khan explained that the management had planned a separate block for the Urdu department, but the newly appointed teacher, unaware of this arrangement, had taken a combined class. Following objections from parents of non-Muslim students, Urdu classes were discontinued — after which, Balu and his supporters allegedly entered the school premises and manhandled the principal.

Khan also alleged that he was held at the police station until evening following the incident.

Legal Action: FIR and Counter-Complaint

Based on a complaint filed by correspondent Mallayya, police registered an FIR against Balu and others under charges of criminal trespass, causing hurt, and mischief. In a parallel development, Tahsildar Satyanarayana of Armoor filed a counter-complaint under Section 196 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — promoting enmity between groups — against the school principal and correspondent.

Political Reactions

Congress Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister Renuka Chowdhury reacted sharply to the incident. 'Urdu is a wonderfully rich language. Our older generations knew how to read Urdu. It is a language. It is a culture which has influenced several aspects of Telangana's history. BJP and its grandfathers have NO right to stop it,' she posted on social media. Chowdhury also shared a poem celebrating Urdu as a shared cultural treasure belonging to all Indians, irrespective of religion.

The episode has reignited a broader debate over language politics in Telangana, with the incident in Armoor now drawing national attention. Authorities are yet to indicate whether the police officer present during the assault will face departmental action.