A complaint has been submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by Legal Rights Protection Forum alleging suppression of Hindu students’ religious freedom and discriminatory treatment in the regulation of religious activities at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal.
The petition, addressed to NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo, has sought an independent inquiry into the actions of certain institute officials, including Director Prof. Bidhyadhar Subudhi, Chief Warden Prof. P. Abdul Azeem and Dean (Students Welfare) Prof. Kiran Kumar.
According to the complaint, students residing in the 1.8K Hostel had been voluntarily assembling every Tuesday at 7 PM for about fifteen minutes to recite the Hanuman Chalisa. The activity was described in the petition as informal, student-initiated and conducted peacefully without political affiliation.
The complainants alleged that the institute administration intervened after a video of the recitation circulated on social media. They claimed that on 17 February 2026, the Dean (Students Welfare), Chief Warden and faculty members entered the hostel and directed students to stop the recitation. Students were allegedly warned of strict disciplinary action, including possible rustication, if the activity continued.
The petition further alleged differential treatment of religious activities on campus. It claimed that Muslim students were being provided space to offer namaz in the hostel’s ninth-floor common hall, while Christian events, including Christmas celebrations under the banner “NITMAS”, had been conducted with participation of senior administrators in previous years.
If accurate, the complaint argued, such selective accommodation could amount to unequal application of institutional policy and may implicate constitutional protections under Articles 14, 15 and 25.
The complainants contended that as a centrally funded institution under the Ministry of Education, NIT Warangal qualifies as “State” under Article 12 of the Constitution and is therefore bound to uphold fundamental rights.
They have urged the NHRC to order an impartial inquiry, ensure that peaceful religious expression by students is not arbitrarily curtailed, and direct the institute to apply any campus regulations uniformly across communities. The petition also sought protection for students who participated in the Hanuman Chalisa recitation from any alleged retaliation pending inquiry.
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