Students sit in protest after being denied entry while wearing hijab, outside a college campus, in Chikmagalur, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (PTI Photo)Karnataka Hijab Controversy News Highlights: The Karnataka High Court Thursday adjourned hearing in petitions filed by Muslim girls studying in government pre-university colleges in Udupi against the government ban on Hijabs in classrooms. The court will resume hearing the pleas on Friday, after state advocate general Prabhuling Navadgi sought time to respond to the petitions. The AG told the court that he was awaiting some orders from the state government. The full bench of the High Court remarked that the state can modify its government order. The court also dismissed one of the petitions filed by a social activist saying: “We will dismiss this petition. It is not maintainable. We will dismiss your petition with costs. You are testing our nerves.”
Karnataka on Thursday reported 1,579 fresh cases of Coronavirus and 23 fatalities, taking the tally to 39,33,115 and toll to 39,738. There were 5,079 discharges, pushing the total number of recoveries to 38,73,580, a Health bulletin said.
Meanwhile, Congress legislators are spending the night inside Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council on Thursday, demanding the sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and also that he be booked for sedition regarding his statement about the national flag.
Mandya: Female Muslim students arrive wearing burqa and hijab at a government college, in Mandya, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. The police personnel on duty asked them to remove their hijab and burqa before entering the premises. (PTI Photo)
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. Kiran Parashar writes
The Karnataka government on Thursday ordered that the students studying in schools managed by the minority welfare department including the Maulana Azad Model English Medium schools in the state should not wear saffron scarves, Hijab or any religious flags.
A circular issued by Major Manivannan P, secretary in the department of minority welfare, Hajj and Wakf Department, said the Karnataka High Court has in its interim order restrained all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, Hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders. (PTI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former CM BS Yediyurappa and other BJP leaders met Congress leaders who are staging an overnight protest in Vidhana Soudha.
During the protest at Vidhana Soudha, Senior Congress Siddaramaiah said that the party will continue its protest till minister KS Eshwarappa is sacked. State party chief DK Shivakumar said that no action has been taken against the minister for “disrespecting” the national flag.
Congress legislators spend the night inside Karnataka Assembly demanding the sacking of Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and also that he be booked for sedition regarding his statement about the National Flag. pic.twitter.com/QhSd14VHuF
Karnataka on Thursday reported 1,579 fresh cases of Coronavirus and 23 fatalities, taking the tally to 39,33,115 and toll to 39,738. There were 5,079 discharges, pushing the total number of recoveries to 38,73,580, a Health bulletin said.
Of the new cases, 769 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 1,889 people being discharged and 7 virus-related deaths. The total number of active cases across the state is now 19,761.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 1.74 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 1.45 per cent. (PTI)
Congress legislators will spend the night inside Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council on Thursday, demanding the sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and also that he be booked for sedition regarding his statement about the national flag.
This came even as protests by the party legislators rocked the proceedings in both houses for the second consecutive day.
Congress members stayed back in the assembly, even after it was adjourned for the day. (PTI)
Inviting Taiwanese companies to make more investments in Karnataka, Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani promised to extend support and cooperation of the state government.
A high-level Taiwanese delegation headed by Baushaun Ger, Head Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC), New Delhi, and Ben Wang, Director General, TECC South – Chennai along with their staff met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Nirani and held talks on investment opportunities. The delegation is on a two-day trip to Karnataka. Read more
Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh held a meeting with Muslim legislators on Thursday in an effort to get Muslim girls to return to classrooms by adhering to the high court order that temporarily barred the hijab and other religious clothing in classes.
“There is a need for a revised uniform policy. A lot of controversy has occurred at present. We will wait for the HC order to come up with a new policy,” said Nagesh, whose office described the interaction as a “goodwill meeting”. Read more
Protests by the Congress demanding sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and that he be booked for sedition, for his statement on the national flag, continued to rock the Assembly proceedings in Karnataka for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
While the Congress has decided to hold 'day-and-night' protests to take the issue to a 'logical end', Eshwarappa said he won't quit.
Eshwarappa said there is no question of him resigning for any reason, and he is a patriot who had gone to jail during emergency. (PTI)
The Karnataka High Court adjourned hearing in petitions filed by Muslim girls studying in government pre-university colleges in Udupi against the government ban on Hijabs in classrooms.
The court will resume hearing the pleas on Friday, after state advocate general Prabhuling Navadgi sought time to respond to the petitions.
The AG told the court that he was awaiting some orders from the state government. The full bench of the High Court remarked that the state can modify its government order. The GO issued on February 5 had imposed a ban on wearing Hijabs in educational institutions.
Senior Advocate AM Dar, representing five girl students, said before Karnataka HC that the government order on hijab will affect his clients who wear hijab. The order is unconstitutional, the lawyer added.
Court asked Dar to withdraw his current petition & grants him the liberty to file a fresh one (ANI)
K'taka HC live:
Health Minister K Sudhakar on Thursday announced that passengers coming to Karnataka from Kerala and Goa, via any mode of transportation, would no longer be asked to furnish a negative RT-PCR report before entering the state.
The Minister also shared a notification to this effect via his official Twitter handle.
The hijab row persists only in eight high schools and pre-university colleges of the total 75,000, the Karnataka government said on Thursday, expressing confidence of resolving the issue.
The High Court, in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row, last week restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom.
However, the controversy refuses to die down as some students remained adamant to be allowed to attend classes with 'Hijab' and 'Burqa' on Thursday as well. Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh told the media here that the "problem" is limited to only a handful of high schools and pre-university colleges. (PTI)
Former Karnataka chief minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah Wednesday evening said his party will boycott the ongoing Assembly session if a sedition case is not registered against Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa over his remarks on the saffron flag. Last week, Eshwarappa said that the saffron flag, a symbol of Hindutva, could replace the Indian Tricolour on the Red Fort in the future.
In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said, “We will boycott sessions in both the houses if @gokRDPR (Rural Development and Panchayat department) minister @ikseshwarappa (Eshwarappa), who insulted our National Flag, is not charged with sedition & dismissed by Thursday 11 AM.” Read more
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would look into submissions for urgent hearing of the plea related to conducting polls for the 'Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike' (BBMP), whose term ended on September 10, 2020.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana was told by senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for some of the candidates for the civic body polls, that elections have not taken place despite the fact that the tenure of the civic body ended in September 2020. The senior lawyer said the poll process has been stayed by an order of the apex court.
"There are enough elections happening in the country,' the bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli, said. When Arora said the issue pertained to the civic poll of a body whose tenure has ended, the bench said, 'You have mentioned. Leave it to us. We will see."
Earlier, the Karnataka government had sought urgent hearing of its pending plea against a high court verdict asking the State Election Commission (SEC) to hold elections in 198 wards of the BBMP. (PTI)
Another day, another scene of intimidation for the hundreds of Muslim girls and women across Karnataka who find themselves locked out of schools and colleges, threatened, isolated, and even segregated into classrooms. They face a challenging route in the courtroom as well, with the Karnataka High Court placing an interim stay on all religious clothing in classrooms. The court has effectively suspended the fundamental rights of a group of citizens, ensuring that until the case is resolved, the girls must choose to remain at home or step into classrooms without what they believe is an essential part of faith and modesty.
Is the question here of religious freedom; or of the hijab, of “uniformity” or of uniforms? Is it about the fact that coastal Karnataka is a heavily polarised region, where organisations like the Bajrang Dal and VHP have played off communities against each other while sowing the seeds for Hindutva majoritarianism? Right-wing supporters argue that the hijab violates uniform, and consequently, uniformity. The Karnataka government order says that students cannot wear clothes that violate public law, order and integrity. Can a tilak, Sikh turban or hijab violate public order? As one of the girls from Kundapura asked: Does my hijab make any noise? Read more
Udipi's Additional SP ST Siddalingappa on Thursday said that there was no tension in Udupi amid the on-going Hijab controversy.
"The situation is 100% peaceful. We're executing the High Court's (interim) order," he added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tweeted a picture of students from different communities walk together to the Government PU College in Udipi as it reopened on Wednesday amidst the on-going Hijab controversy.
Tweeting the photo, Gandhi said, "United we stand. My India."
The Karnataka legislative council on Thursday was adjourned after opposition members of the legislative council (MLS) demanded action over a purported statement by a BJP minister Eshwarappa that the ‘bhagwa dhwaj’ (saffron flag) “may become the national flag in the future”. for his remarks over national flag.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa said last week that the saffron flag, a symbol of Hindutva, could replace the Indian national flag on the Red Fort in the future.
While the imbroglio on the hijab continues unabated, divisive forces are using the opportunity to push their agenda of painting India as “intolerant”, demonising the BJP/RSS as anti-Muslim and fascist and insinuating that the hijab is being forced on Muslim women as part of the Sangh Parivar’s plan to eventually create a Hindu Rashtra.
The tactics used by the divisive pack are drearily familiar. Rhetoric is routinely used as logic. Facts are twisted or conveniently dropped to build an ideologically suitable narrative — mostly poor in substance and divorced from reality and reason. Views laced with prejudice are presented as facts. Read this piece by Balbir Punj.
A doctor from Ujire in Dakshina Kannada district has complained to the police that his twitter account has been hacked by miscreants who uploaded an anti-hijab post on it. Dr Shantanu R Prabhu, a pediatrician in Ujire, said in the complaint that tweet against hijab appeared on his account which is meant to tarnish his image, police sources said.
The tweet said they do not want women and girls to wear hijabs. "This is neither a Taliban state, Saudi Arabia or madrassa and the hijab is unnecessary. If you have to wear hijab, go to a madrassa," it said. A screenshot of the doctor holding a child in his hands has been uploaded along with the tweet, Shantanu said in his complaint. The doctor alleged that using the post, some people have started spreading malicious propaganda against the hospital where he works.
"This is an attempt to sully my image. Having studied in medical college run by minorities, I know what hijabs are," he said in the complaint. (PTI)
Pandemonium prevailed in the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday with Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa and State Congress president D K Shivakumar charging towards each other stopping short of coming to blows. The tense situation came up when Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah was making preliminary submission seeking to move an adjournment motion demanding a dismissal and sedition case against Eshwarappa for his recent statement claiming that 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag) may become the national flag in the future.
The heated exchanges between the two began when Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri wanted to hear Eshwarappa's side as charges were made against him in the adjournment motion. Shivakumar, opposing it, said, "We cannot allow him (Eshwarappa to speak)."
To this, Eshwarappa is said to have made some comments from the place where he was seated, but it was not clearly heard amid the chaos. Shivakumar, claiming that Eshwarappa said "this (House) is not your (Shivakumar) father's property" tried to charge towards him in a fit of anger.
The State Congress chief, along with some of his party MLAs, then walked towards Eshwarappa who, too, walked from his seat towards them and came close to each other. (PTI)
The Congress on Wednesday moved an adjournment motion in the state legislative assembly over a purported statement by a BJP minister that the ‘bhagwa dhwaj’ (saffron flag) “may become the national flag in the future”. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa said last week that the saffron flag, a symbol of Hindutva, could replace the Indian national flag on the Red Fort in the future.
On Wednesday, former Karnataka chief minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah moved an adjournment motion seeking dismissal of the BJP minister. “Eshwarappa must be dismissed from the cabinet and a case of sedition must be filed against him for denigrating the national flag,” Siddaramaiah said in his opening statement while moving the motion. Read more
The high court order of February 10, which prohibits the use of hijabs, saffron shawls and other religious symbols, does not apply to degree colleges in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in the state assembly Wednesday. “The high court order will not be followed in all colleges. HC has said only colleges where uniforms are prescribed, a ban will apply,” Bommai told the Assembly.
The chief minister’s comments came after the issue of Muslim students wearing hijab not being allowed to attend classes was raised by the leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah during Zero Hour. The Congress leader sought a clarification from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government on a statement made by Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwathnarayan on Tuesday that the high court’s restriction on religious symbols would not apply to degree colleges. Read more
Department of Higher Education has asked Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of Universities of Karnataka to postpone semester examinations of degree courses by one month as the syllabus is yet to be completed in many colleges. In a letter written by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, G Kumar Naik said that he has asked VCs to take decisions regarding the postponement of examinations.
The syllabus was not completed within the time frame because the colleges were closed due to the surge in Covid-19 cases during the third wave and due to a guest lecturers’ protest. Read more
Over 700 people, including 500 lawyers, law students and other legal professionals, addressed an open letter to the concerned authorities in the on-going Hijab controversy where colleges refused the entry to hijab-wearing students. The letter has 765 signatories.
"We are deeply concerned with, and strongly condemn the violation of constitutional rights of young Muslim women who have been denied entry into educational spaces due to their wearing a hijab. We are equally concerned by the interim order of the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court restraining 'students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom,'" the letter stated.
The signatories also expressed concern over the recent Karnataka High Court’s interim order, and said that it has led to many instances of Muslim women and girls facing public humiliation.
Colleges cross Karnataka reopened under heavy police cover Wednesday to chaotic scenes outside several institutions with authorities refusing entry to hijab-wearing students prompting several girls to return home without attending classes. While college authorities cited the Karnataka High Court’s interim order last week, banning religious symbols until it decides on pleas challenging the hijab ban in some colleges of Udupi, several students said the restrictions were applied indiscriminately. Read more
Even as different religious symbols such as bangles and turbans are common in Indian society, the government targeting only Muslim women for their headscarves is an example of “hostile discrimination”, the advocate for petitioners told the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday during the hearing on the hijab row. He also argued that the discrimination is even starker because there is no prescribed uniform for students in pre-university colleges in the state and as a consequence there is no rule that imposes a ban on the hijab.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it has arrested the former president of Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, K Ramakrishna, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in connection with misappropriation of public deposits to the tune of over Rs 1,000 crore.
Meanwhile, the Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bangalore has granted the ED custody of Ramakrishna for four days. (Read more)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday told the state legislative assembly that his government will abide by the High Court's interim order on the Hijab row.
The Chief Minister was replying to Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, who sought clarification from him during the zero hour, on the Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan's statement yesterday that dress code is applicable to Pre University colleges and not for Degree Colleges "The Higher Education Minister has stated the facts. He has said that dress code is applicable where the rules exist and it is not there for higher education institutions or Degree Colleges," Bommai said.
He said that the High Court's interim order is also very clear - where there is dress code it has to be followed, and it is not applicable where it does not exist. (PTI)
COLLEGES ACROSS Karnataka reopened under heavy police cover Wednesday to chaotic scenes outside several institutions with authorities refusing entry to hijab-wearing students prompting several girls to return home without attending classes.
While college authorities cited the Karnataka High Court’s interim order last week, banning religious symbols until it decides on pleas challenging the hijab ban in some colleges of Udupi, several students said the restrictions were applied indiscriminately. (Read full report by Kiran Parashar)
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that it will plant trees and improve the greenery in and around 36 lakes in the city.
Speaking to The Indian Express, BBMP Special Commissioner Reddy Shankar Babu said, “I would like to clarify that we are not creating parks inside the lakes. Some of the lakes which have islands and vacant patches will see an increase in green cover. (Read the full report by Aksheev Thakur)
Congress has failed to function as a responsible opposition party. It has violated the Flag Code by displaying the National Flag during its protest in the Assembly, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday. Bommai was speaking to media persons at Vidhana Soudha.
"There is a National Flag Code defining how to use the National Flag. The National Flag should never be misused, the Code states. But the opposition party has misused it with political motives. People are watching it all. "We are prepared to reply to any issue including the minister Eshwarappa's statement," Bommai said.
The way Congress members conducted themselves in the house does not behove the party which prides itself of having a 100 year history. Congress is getting marginalised in the country due to such conduct of its members, Bommai said.
The Opposition members could have raised issues of public grievances during the discussion on motion of thanks for Governor's address. Minister Eshwarappa has issued a clarification. Eshwarappa had stated that "maybe it would be possible to hoist the Saffron Flag on the Red Fort in the next 300-400 years," Bommai said.
Eshwarappa had also stated that "we have all accepted the National Flag and everyone should respect it. Only selected parts of his statement are being quoted by the opposition to mislead the people and the house. The minister's statement does not amount to any violation of law. The conduct of the opposition members reflects their political bandruptcy," Bommai said. (ENS)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested the president of a Bengaluru-based cooperative bank in a money-laundering case linked to alleged misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over Rs 1,000 crore, the agency said on Wednesday.
K Ramakrishna, president of Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, was subsequently produced before the principal city civil and sessions judge, who granted a four-day custody of the accused to the ED, it said in a statement.
The federal probe agency said "officers and employees of the bank siphoned off the money deposited by the public with the bank".
"The bank promised to give higher interest rates to the depositors, which were not in line with the prevailing market rate. The money deposited by the depositors was advanced/siphoned off to various persons, including employees of the bank, without obtaining proper security for the loans," it said. (PTI)
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah, on Wednesday said that a sedition case should be lodged against Minister KS Eshwarappa for his remarks on national flag. Earlier, the minister had said, "We will hoist a saffron flag at Red Fort."
Siddaramaiah asked Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to remove Eshwarappa from his post.
Karnataka on Wednesday reported 1,894 new Covid-19 cases, 24 deaths with a positivity rate of 1.90 per cent. The capital, Bengaluru logged 835 new cases with four related deaths. The active cases in the state has come down to 23,284.
Pandemonium prevailed in the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday with Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa and State Congress president D K Shivakumar charging towards each other stopping short of coming to blows.
The tense situation came up when Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah was making preliminary submission seeking to move an adjournment motion demanding a dismissal and sedition case against Eshwarappa for his recent statement claiming that 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag) may become the national flag in the future.
The heated exchanges between the two began when Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri wanted to hear Eshwarappa's side as charges were made against him in the adjournment motion. (PTI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested the president of a Bengaluru-based cooperative bank in a money-laundering case linked to alleged misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over Rs 1,000 crore, the agency said on Wednesday.
K Ramakrishna, president of Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, was subsequently produced before the principal city civil and sessions judge, who granted a four-day custody of the accused to the ED, it said in a statement.
The federal probe agency said "officers and employees of the bank siphoned off the money deposited by the public with the bank".
"The bank promised to give higher interest rates to the depositors, which were not in line with the prevailing market rate. The money deposited by the depositors was advanced/siphoned off to various persons, including employees of the bank, without obtaining proper security for the loans," it said. (PTI)
The Congress on Wednesday moved an adjournment motion in the state legislative assembly over a purported statement by a BJP minister that the ‘bhagwa dhwaj’ (saffron flag) “may become the national flag in the future”.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa said last week that the saffron flag, a symbol of Hindutva, could replace the Indian national flag on the Red Fort in the future. (Read more)
As many as 28 students in two colleges in the city were sent back home on Wednesday for wearing hijab to classes. Mangaluru police commissioner N Shashi Kumar told reporters here that in four other colleges, students who came to classes wearing hijabs were allowed inside classrooms after removing their scarves.
Classes went on smoothly in all the colleges, which reopened today after a week-long holiday declared by the government following trouble in some campuses over the hijab issue.
The commissioner said the hijab issue came up in six colleges on the day. The authorities at Pompei PU college sent back 26 hijab-clad students after telling them about the High Court order, while at the Dayanand Pai degree college, two students who wore hijab were sent home. (PTI)
Karnataka State government on Wednesday transferred Aiyappa MA as SP of Kodagu and posted Pawar Pravin Madhukar as IGP of southern range. K Thiyagarajan has been posted as IGP Eastern range.
G. N. Devy writes: As the hijab issue roils the nation, it would do to remember how Krishna stood by Draupadi at a time when, as now, dharma was under siege and anarchy loomed.
Karnataka High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the petitions challenging the ban on hijab in educational institutions for the fourth day. The court will assemble again tomorrow at 2:30 pm to hear the rest of writ petitions.
The social democratic party of India (SDPI) on Wednesday charged the BJP with 'sponsoring' and 'promoting' the hijab-saffron shawl issue in educational institutions in Karnataka. Addressing reporters here, SDPI state general secretary B R Bhaskar Prasad alleged that the entire issue is a ‘criminal act' sponsored by the BJP government in the state.
Noting that the constitution never barred Muslim women wearing hijab, he alleged that the issue was created by a college principal which was later taken up by the Sangh Parivar outfits.
He sought to know why hijab should be banned as a religious symbol when Hindu symbols like thread and ‘nama' are allowed. He also accused the Congress of adopting ‘double standards' on the issue.
SDPI state president Abdul Majeed, who was also present, said the High Court interim order is applicable only to colleges where development committees have prescribed a dress code. The district administrations and the education department are creating confusion over the order, he charged.
He said KPCC president D K Shivakumar should clarify the stand of the Congress on the issue. The party does not want to address the problems of Muslims though they want minority votes, Majeed said. (PTI)
Senior advocate and professor Ravivarma Kumar during his argumnet in the hearing said that there are hundreds of religious symbols in all sections of the society. Why is government picking on hijab alone and making this a hostile discrimination?
Later, advocate Kumar refers to AIR 1953 Supreme Court, 384.
Senior Advocate Professor Ravivarma Kumar appearing for the petitioner said that there is no prohibition against Hijab.
"The question arises that under what authority or rules I (students) have been kept out of the class," Kumar asserted.
Senior Advocate and Professor Ravivarma Kumar appearing for the petitioner refers to the Karnataka Education Act. The lawyer says the rule notifies that when educational institution intends to change uniform, it has to issue notice one year in advance to parents.
"If ban on Hijab, it should inform one year in advance," Kumar added.
Karnataka High Court on Wednesday began hearing petitions challenging the ban on hijab in educational institutions in the state for the fourth day.
The high court order of February 10, which prohibits the use of hijabs, saffron shawls and other religious symbols, does not apply to degree colleges in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in the state assembly Wednesday. “The high court order will not be followed in all colleges. HC has said only colleges where uniforms are prescribed, a ban will apply,” Bommai told the Assembly.
The chief minister’s comments came after the issue of Muslim students wearing hijab not being allowed to attend classes was raised by the leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah during Zero Hour. The Congress leader sought a clarification from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government on a statement made by Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwathnarayan on Tuesday that the high court’s restriction on religious symbols would not apply to degree colleges. Read more
The Mangaluru city police Wednesday released data on the number of students who wore Hijab to schools which reopened today after remaining shut for a week owing to the Hijab row, as the Burqa-clad Muslim students were not let in.
Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF), a non-government organisation (NGO), has opposed the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) floating tenders for the selection of consultants to prepare the Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2041, saying the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC) should make the master plan, not BDA. NBF objection came after consultation with urban planners, experts, Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) and citizen activists.
A letter in this regard was signed by citizen activists and members of RWA and submitted to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Urban Development B A Basavaraj and Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh. RMP 2041 is supposed to be a comprehensive document plan, which will provide a broad framework and direction for the growth and development of the city. Read more
Several pre-university colleges in Karnataka reopened on Wednesday after remaining shut for a week owing to the Hijab row, as the Burqa-clad Muslim students were not let in. (Express photo by Jithendra M)
Kannada writer and poet Chennaveera Kanavi Wednesday passed away due to age-related illnesses at the age of 93. He was admitted to the SDM Medical College Hospital in Dharwad where he breathed his last.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed his condolences and said Kanavi’s demise has left a huge void in Kannada literature. “His contribution to Kannada literature is immense and I have known him personally for four decades,” he said. Read more
Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF), a non-government organisation (NGO), has opposed the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) floating tenders for the selection of consultants to prepare the Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2041, saying the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC) should make the master plan, not BDA. NBF objection came after consultation with urban planners, experts, Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) and citizen activists.
A letter in this regard was signed by citizen activists and members of RWA and submitted to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Urban Development B A Basavaraj and Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh. RMP 2041 is supposed to be a comprehensive document plan, which will provide a broad framework and direction for the growth and development of the city. Read more
The Karnataka High Court Tuesday issued a bailable warrant against the engineer in chief of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for failing to appear before it during the hearing on a petition over filling up of potholes in Bengaluru. A division bench of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Suraj Govindaraj, which is hearing the case, had asked the BBMP engineer in chief to appear before the court on Tuesday but he failed to do so.
“In order to ensure the appearance of the Engineer in Chief, BBMP, we issue a bailable warrant against the Engineer in Chief, BBMP,” said the court. In its order, the bench also said, "The Police Commissioner is directed to execute the warrant and produce the Engineer in Chief, BBMP before the Court on 17.2.2022."
Chaos prevailed on Wednesday in several pre-university colleges in Karnataka, which were opened on Wednesday after remaining shut for a week owing to the Hijab row, as the Burqa-clad Muslim students were not let in. Amid tight security with policemen deployed in and around Pre-university colleges at many sensitive places, the day saw a section of Muslim students remaining adamant not to remove the Burqa, let alone Hijab, the Islamic scarves.
The Court, in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row, last week restrained the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom. Degree colleges also reopened on Wednesday but the government had made it clear that no uniform is stipulated there and, hence, students are free to wear the dress of their choice.
The burqa clad girls were barred entry in most of the government pre-university colleges leading to tension there. As the tension simmered in Sagara government pre-university college in Shivamogga district, the college authorities announced a holiday for the day. (PTI)
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday said that the overal situation in the state was peaceful, apart from a few incidents where girl students were allegedly denied entry in schools for wearing Burqa. "We've to follow interim order passed by HC. If anyone violates the order action will be taken as per law," he said.
The police on Wednesday said that a couple have been arrested for stealing batteries from traffic signals. They added that 230 batteries stolen from 68 traffic junctions over the last few months have also been recovered. These batteries are used to run traffic signals.
The accused have been identified as S Sikandar (30) and his wife Nazma Sikandar (29), residents of Chikkabanavara. Police sources said that S Sikandar used to run a tea shop but had to shut it down during the lockdown. Later, he started selling tea on his scooter but was allegedly harassed by the traffic police on a number of occasions. On one occasion, they also broke his flask. Furious over the incident, S Sikandar decided to steal batteries installed in traffic signals. Read more
Kannada writer and poet Chennaveera Kanavi passed away due to age related illness on Wednesday. He was 93 years and breathed his last at SDM Medical College Hospital in Dharwad.
Born in hombal of gadag district on 28 June 192, Kanavi studied in Dharwad. He worked as the Director of Prasaranga of Karnataka University between 1956 to 1983. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his work Jeeva Dhwani (Poetry) in 1981.