The Somaiya School in Mumbai has requested its principal, Parveen Shaikh, to resign after OpIndia, a website associated with spreading misinformation and hate speech, published an article criticizing her purported political stance.

Shaikh, who has been with the private school for 12 years and served as principal for over seven, came under scrutiny on April 24 when OpIndia accused her of displaying “disturbing social media behavior.” The article labeled her as a “Hamas sympathizer”, “anti-Hindu” and a supporter of “Islamist Umar Khalid” based on her Twitter activity.

On April 26, the school’s management approached Shaikh, expressing disappointment with the OpIndia article and requesting her resignation. Despite acknowledging her contributions, they cited external pressure and the content of the article as factors in their decision.

Shaikh, in response, expressed confusion and shock at the accusations, stating that she had never heard of OpIndia before. She also indicated her intention not to resign from her position.

While Shaikh’s stance remains firm, Somaiya School has not officially confirmed or denied the resignation request, stating that they are investigating the matter further.