Karnataka government withholds best teacher award to principal over his alleged 'anti-Hijab' stand

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has withheld its decision to bestow the best teacher award on a principal of a government college over his alleged anti-Hijab stand at the peak of the head scarf row in the state two years ago, sources in the Education Department said on Thursday.

Ramakrishna B G, principal of the Government Pre-University College at Kundapura in Udupi district, was supposed to receive the award today on Teachers' Day but the decision was kept on hold after the Congress government drew flak from some activists of the Muslim community, the sources said.

"The reason behind the anger against the teacher is his alleged stand during the Hijab row," a Department official said.

"The government had earlier announced his name but now it has been withheld," a source said.

Ramakrishna was not available for comment.

BJP MLA from Mangalore City North constituency Y Bharath Shetty slammed the government saying that it insulted a teacher by succumbing to the "pressure created by Jihadi elements".

“The Congress government in Karnataka has done a very shameful thing by withdrawing the best state level teachers’ award to Ramakrishna B G. The state government had announced the award after following the check list and found him eligible for the award,” Shetty said.

“The main reason behind withdrawing the award is that the Jihadi elements, the organisations like SDPI and PFI, tweeted that this teacher should not be given this award because during the Hijab issue he had stopped the students wearing Hijab from entering the college," he said.

The MLA said Ramakrishna had only followed the then official order being a government servant. “It is very insulting for the teaching community that you announce an award and then you take it back because some Jihadi elements are forcing you to do so."