NEW DELHI – As hijab row continues to deepen in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, another education institution denied entry Muslim students for wearing headscarves.
According to Indian media, 27 students were not allowed to enter a government-run pre-university college on Thursday for wearing hijabs in Kundapur town of Udupi district.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, with social media users slamming the Indian government for its discriminatory policies against Muslims.
A report published by Hindustan Times said the decision not to allow entry to students wearing hijabs was taken after over 100 students donned saffron shawls — the colour is seen as a Hindu symbol — and protested against Muslim female students wearing hijabs at Bhandarkars’ College on Wednesday.
“When the principal asked the students to remove their hijab and attend classes, an argument ensued with the students pointing out that there is no government order banning the hijab in Kundapur government colleges,” it added.
The report quoted the college principal, Ramakrishna, as saying that he was following the directives given by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Halady Srinivas Shetty to the college committee.
Deplorable scenes unfolding in Karnataka, another govt college not allowing Girls with #hijab to enter classrooms. The students are crying and requesting the principal not to ruin their future with just 2 months to go for exams. pic.twitter.com/sYJzTsLuuX
— Deepak Bopanna (@dpkBopanna) February 3, 2022
A Twitter user says, “Deplorable scenes unfolding in Karnataka, another govt college not allowing Girls with #hijab to enter classrooms. The students are crying and requesting the principal not to ruin their future with just 2 months to go for exams”.
