BJP-ruled Haryana’s Education Department has stirred a controversy by asking students in private schools to furnish personal and family data, including religion, caste, bank account number and Aadhaar details as well as if their parents “(are) engaged in (an) unclean occupation”.

The controversial move has prompted the Opposition to hit out at the Khattar government.

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The two-page form has given by private schools to students, including those in Gurugram and Panchkula. Inquiries reveal that the forms have been distributed across Haryana.

Commenting on the development, the opposition Congress said the BJP-led state government was indulging in “racial and religious profiling”.

Taking to the microblogging site Twitter, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala posted a series of tweets. “Khattar Govt issues a 100 point Students Admission Form. It is really a Surveillance of Parents/Students Form,” he said in one of the tweets.

BREAKING! Khattar Govt does it again. Students labelled as ‘untouchables’ & their parents occupation as ‘unclean’.

Govt,taking a cue from NaMo App, issues a 100 pointer student admission form.
Since when has Aadhar become mandatory for school admission?https://t.co/1l66WlN4ez pic.twitter.com/1IC9JXTUUS

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 10, 2018

“Khattar Govt does it again. Students labelled as ‘untouchables’ & their parents occupation as ‘unclean’. Height of insanity is the kind of pvt info of parents being sought. Calling vocation of parents unclean is absurd,” he said.

“Govt, taking a cue from NaMo App, issues a 100 pointer student admission form. Since when has Aadhaar become mandatory for school admission?,” he said in another tweet.

Surjewala demanded that the state education department withdraw the order and tender an apology to the parents.

Meanwhile, a state government official spokesman said it was not clear who issued the form.

Private school authorities, in their communication to parents, have made it clear that the information was being sought by the state Education Department and not by the school.

Some schools have mentioned that the form has come from the Directorate of School Education of the Haryana government.

(With agency inputs)