A video from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, featuring a Muslim woman teacher has gone viral on social media, in which she alleges she was denied employment for wearing a hijab. The school management has strongly denied the allegation, claiming the video was an attempt to gain social media attention.
In the viral clip, Samreen Bano alleges that Muslim teachers face discrimination. She claims that her religious identity and wearing a hijab are making it difficult for her to secure jobs and private tutoring assignments, and that schools are instilling fear and misconceptions about Muslim teachers in children’s minds.
“I don’t know why, but hatred seems to be all pervasive. Where does such hatred come from?” she says in the video.
() , pic.twitter.com/AztS2DKScR— The dark masked (@the_dark_masked) May 11, 2026
Bano told India Today TV that she had undergone a one-day trial at a private school in Varanasi, but during a parent-teacher meeting the next day, she was asked not to wear a hijab or cover her head. She claims that when she objected, she was paid Rs 200 for the day’s work and asked not to return.
SCHOOL PUSHES BACK
Speaking to India Today TV, Usharaj Maurya, the school’s director and a BJP district office-bearer, defended the institution and disputed Bano’s account. She said Bano had wanted to use her mobile phone inside the classroom, which is against school rules.
Maurya also pointed out that around 90 per cent of the students are Muslim and that four Muslim teachers are already employed at the school, none of whom have faced any issues.
The management further alleged that Bano behaved like a social media influencer seeking to grow her following, and that she had objected to teachers wearing bindis and mangalsutras as well as to the Saraswati Vandana prayer being conducted at the school.
“It was only later that we discovered she had uploaded these recordings to social media,” Maurya said.
VIDEO NOW DELETED
Bano confirmed that she received a call from local police officials who are collecting information on the matter. She subsequently deleted the video, saying she does not wish to escalate the issue further.
The school has submitted a written response to the police about the whole incident. Maurya added that the school does not want to escalate the matter, seeking only counselling for the teacher.
– Ends
Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
May 12, 2026 00:01 IST
