Rajasthan: Has Education Department Revoked Hemlata Bairwa's Suspension?

New Delhi: A purported office order of the Rajasthan's education department is making rounds on internet, claiming that Hemlata Bairwa - a Dalit teacher who was suspended for refusing to worship Goddess Saraswati during Republic Day (January 26) celebrations - has been reinstated with immediate effect.

"Keeping Mrs Hemlata Bairwa under investigation, she has been reinstated from suspension with immediate effect and appointed to the office of the district education officer at headquarters' main block," reads the alleged order.

However, Bairwa denied to have received any such written order or verbal communication from the education department.

"I have not got any order so far, neither anyone from the department has verbally communicated to me in this regard. I too have come across the order on social media, but I cannot voucher for its authenticity," she told The Mooknayak.

She was suspended and asked to report to Bikaner by the state’s education department a month after the incident allegedly on the instructions of Minister of School Education Madan Dilawar — who had publicly announced her suspension while speaking on the occasion.

Bikaner is over 600 kilometers away from her home district (Baran).

Her suspension has led Dalit organizations to stage rallies throughout the state, calling for the minister to step down and her suspension to be revoked.