Odisha school mourns Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death by mistake, shuts for the day

The headmaster of a primary school in Balasore district of Odisha, Kamalakanta Das, is said to proclaim the news of India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death, on Friday. Vajpayee who has been ill for the past few years has not been making public appearances but is still very much alive.

Das, who had been attending a teachers' training programme in another school, learned the incorrect information from a fellow teacher there.

The students and teachers mourned the death of Vajpayee by holding a memorial meeting, after which the school was closed as per the headmaster's instruction.

The locals who came to know about the meet where agitated and complained to the District Collector seeking strict action against Das. Collector Sanatan Mallik told The New Indian Express "He [Das] will be placed under suspension and if required criminal proceedings will also be initiated against the headmaster."

In a similar incident, Jharkhand's education minister Neera Yadav had 'paid her respects' to former President APJ Abdul Kalam when he was alive and doing fine.