Bakhrahat Girls High School, where eight teachers were locked up on Tuesday for wearing salwar-kameez, was closed on Wednesday to observe a Trinamul Congress-called students’ strike. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

The eight teachers of Bakhrahat Girls High School, in Bishnupur, who were locked up on campus for wearing salwar-kameez, met school education minister Partha Dey on Wednesday.

Dey said he would discuss the issue with the school’s managing committee on Monday.

The teachers have decided not to take classes till the situation returns to normal. “We faced grave danger on Tuesday night. Anything could have happened,” said one of them.

All schools in Bakhrahat, on the southern fringes, remained close on Wednesday because of a Trinamul Congress call for a students’ strike protesting “police excess” on Tuesday.

Trinamul supporters blocked Bakhrahat Road for nearly five hours since 8am on Wednesday following a scuffle between them and SFI supporters over locking in the teachers. The roadblock was lifted after the police intervened.

On Tuesday, the eight teachers were locked in a classroom till late in the evening by students and guardians and had to be rescued by the police. Three persons were arrested for attacking the police.

South 24-Parganas police superintendent Praveen Kumar said his officers would speak to the members of the school managing committee, the headmistress and the local legislator. “We are trying to help them resume classes at the earliest. The trouble broke out mainly over two issues —slapping of students by some teachers and the dress code,” he added.

The teachers denied slapping any student. “On the contrary, they were taunting us for wearing salwar-kameez,” alleged a teacher.