Delhi to Bengal: Women take to streets to protest Karnataka hijab ban in educational institutions

A full bench of the Karnataka High Court has stated in its order that the interest of students in Karnataka will be served better if they return to classes rather than raise protests over issues like wearing the hijab and saffron shawls in classrooms. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

The hijab row began after six students were banned from entering a college in Karnataka’s Udupi district for wearing a hijab last month. In picture, Muslim women with student members of PSU (Lalkaar) protesting against Hijab ban at Plaza in Sector 17 of Chandigarh on Friday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

The debate of whether educational institutions can impose a strict dress code that could interfere with rights of students has spilled to other colleges around the country. In picture, Muslim women along with NCP unit in Pune staged an agitation at Mahatma Phule Wada on Thursday against the Karnataka government for restricting women from wearing Hijab in school and colleges. (Express photo by Ashish Kale)

An order issued by the Karnataka government’s Department for Pre-University Education on February 5 attempted to argue that banning headscarves or hijabs for students attending classes is not a violation of the right to practise their religion. In picture, Muslim women protest against Hijab ban at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Kolkata Alia University students protest against the hijab incident in Karnataka on Friday in Kolkata. (Express Photo Shashi Ghosh)

Protests against the Hijab issue at Esplanade, Kolkata. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Pune: Children with Muslim women wearing Hijab and Burkha along with Congress workers staged an agitation at Kohinoor chowk in Camp on Friday. (Express Photo by Ashish Kale)

Protest on Hijab issue in Park Circus, Kolkata. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)