Lucknow: Indian authorities have pledged to take swift action following a disturbing incident in which a primary school teacher instructed her students to take turns slapping a Muslim classmate. The incident, captured on video, has ignited widespread outrage across the nation and on social media platforms.

The incident occurred at a private school in Uttar Pradesh state, where the teacher ordered her students to slap a seven-year-old Muslim boy. The reason ostensibly given was his supposed failure to correctly answer multiplication tables. In the video, the teacher can be heard instructing the children to hit the boy harder, even directing them to target specific areas of his body.

Police superintendent Satyanarayan Prajapat confirmed the authenticity of the video and announced that "departmental action" would be taken against the teacher. The victim's father also filed a case with the police in Muzaffarnagar district, where the incident took place.

The graphic footage has triggered a wave of condemnation online, with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of fueling religious intolerance in the predominantly Hindu nation. Gandhi expressed his dismay at the incident and posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), condemning the act and the spread of hatred.

Uttar Pradesh, governed by the BJP since 2017, has faced heightened tension and incidents of religious-based violence during Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's tenure. These incidents have raised concerns about religious discrimination and intolerance within the country.