Karnataka students wear saffron shawls to colleges as hijab row escalates

Despite the Karnataka government issuing a new circular banning hijab as well as saffron shawls in college campuses, the row continued on Monday as students in different cities of the state came wearing the shawls and hijabs.

Protesting against the girl students attending schools and colleges wearing hijab, students of two colleges in Indi taluk of the Vijayapura district attended their classes wearing saffron shawls on Monday. The incident took place at Shanteshwar PU College and GRB Degree College in Indi town.

Administrative board of the both colleges called an emergency meeting and declared holiday to avoid controversy.

The students have been directed to come college wearing uniform as per the government order.

Also Read: Headscarf row: Separate room for agitating girls

Vijayapura is considered a BJP stronghold and also communally sensitive.

Meanwhile, students of Venkataramana College in Kundapur, Udupi district, were stopped by a sub-inspector attached to the Kundapur police station, Sadashiva Gavaroji, from entering the college premises as they were wearing saffron shawls. The Principal of the Venkataramana College said that students wearing saffron shawls and hijab won't be allowed inside the college premises.

Also Read — Students must follow government order on uniform: CM Basavaraj Bommai amid hijab row

The intelligence agencies and Education Department are on high alert about disturbing developments regarding the hijab row in the state.

Miscreants threatened BJP leader Raheem Uchil for speaking for the ruling government in connection with row.

Uchil, leader of BJP Minority Morcha and also President of Karnataka Byari Literature, came out in the open and condemned the move by few organisations to kick up the hijab row in the state.

Also Read: It’s now Congress vs BJP on hijab row

The miscreant had abused the lawmaker and threatened that he would be killed for speaking against the wearing of hijab. He has lodged a complaint in this regard with the Pandeshwara Police station in Dakshina Kannada district.

In another development, Udupi police have taken two persons into custody for flashing knives during hijab-saffron shawl protest on February 5. The police have launched a search operation for three other persons who were spotted with weapons at the site of a student protest.

The arrested persons have been identified as Abdul Majeed (32) and Razab (41), residents of Gangolli. The police have identified the persons who flashed weapons at the students protest site as Khaleel, Rizwan and Iftikar.

Kundapur police have registered a case and are investigating the case. These developments have put the state agencies on high alert.

The Karnataka High Court will take up the hearing of petitions by Muslim students on hijab row on Tuesday. The students have sought directions for the government and education department to allow them to wear hijab and attend classes. The state government has stated that they would frame a policy on uniform once the High Court gives its orders.

Meanwhile, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic agency of the state capital known as Silicon Valley of India, planned to take preventive measures fearing surfacing of hijab row. The administration has started distributing uniforms, shoes and books to students and aiming to complete the exercise as early as possible.

(With inputs from agencies)

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