Hijab row: Confusion over HC order continues to haunt students in Karnataka, protests in several places
In Hassan district, students wearing hijab and protesting outside the college engaged in an altercation with the police. Protests were also reported in Ballari and Kodagu.
4 min read
Students sit in protest after being denied entry while wearing hijab, outside a college campus, in Chikmagalur. (PTI)Students wearing hijab continued to be denied entry to colleges across Karnataka despite the state higher education minister clarifying that the Karnataka High Court’s interim order was not applicable for graduate (or degree) students.
Earlier this week, Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan had said students can wear hijab if they wished as all the colleges that come under higher education department may not follow the dress code. Colleges in Karnataka generally do not have a dress code.
At the Mandya PES College, police officers were seen telling students wearing hijab to either enter college without religious attire or leave the premises. If they did not comply, they were threatened with cases for violating CrPC section 144.
Similarly, at the Chikkamagaluru government PU college, a verbal spat ensued between a parent and the principal. While the parent accused the principal of ‘spoiling the education of children’, the principal said he was just following court orders.
In Hassan district, students wearing hijab and protesting outside the college engaged in an altercation with the police. Protests were also reported in Ballari and Kodagu. In Belagavi district, police took some youths, who raised the demand to allow entry to students wearing hijab, into preventive custody. In Shivamogga district, students wearing hijab were shown the gates and asked to attend online classes.
But contrary to such reports, BC Nagesh, minister of primary and secondary education, claimed that incidents of students wearing hijab being asked to return home from schools were only reported in two-three institutions.
“The schools and colleges are running without any hassles. There were only two or three incidents over hijab but all students are attending classes,” Nagesh told reporters on Thursday.
Cong delegation meets minister
Meanwhile, a delegation of Muslim MLAs of the Congress including BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rizwan Arshad met Nagesh and Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood and submitted a memorandum seeking entry of the students.
The letter read, “Two conditions must be met for the (HC) order to be applicable to the institute. a) The institute must have a CDC. b) The CDC should have prescribed a uniform. It is therefore amply clear that the order is not applicable to schools and degree colleges at all. The same has also been clarified by the Hon’ble Chief Minister on 16.02.2022.”
The Cong leaders argued that it was distressing to see authorities continue to misinterpret the HC order and in the process violate the girls’ right to education.
Additionally, a delegation of lawyers, students, women’s rights activists from Bahutva Karnataka and other organisations met R Sneha, director of the PU board, on Thursday. “We explained that the exams were ongoing and demanded that students be allowed into (writing) the exams or exams be postponed till the court final verdict. We also demanded a clarification be sent to all PUC colleges,” said a statement released by the delegation.
Social activist gets threat on phone
Social activist Seema Inamdar, who has backed the right of Muslim students to wear hijab in educational institutions, filed a complaint with Belagavi police after she was threatened on phone by an unknown person.
According to police sources, Inamdar received a WhatsApp call on Tuesday late night during which the caller threatened her of dire consequences if she continued to support the Hijab issue. Inamdar has sought police protection.
FIR against Cong leader
Police have registered an FIR against Congress leader Mukarram Khan in Kalaburgi for a controversial statement on hijab. He said those opposing students wearing hijab from attending classes will be ‘chopped to pieces.’ After pro-Hindu organisations staged a protest, the FIR was filed.
You May Like
