Thiruvananthapuram, June 28 -- Muslim groups in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram have raised strong objections after the state education department introduced Zumba dance in schools, stating that they can't accept girls and boys intermingling, dancing together, or wearing minimal clothing.

The move, as part of its anti-drug campaign, aimed at helping students manage stress through physical activity, drew criticism for allegedly promoting indecent intermingling of boys and girls.

The backlash began after TK Ashraf, a teacher and General Secretary of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation, posted on Facebook that he and his son would not participate in the programme. "Cannot accept this, and my son and I will not participate in this," Ashraf wrote in...