Several students wearing hijab argued that they should be allowed inside the classes as the final order of the court has not been issued yet, while Home Minister Araga Jnanendra warned that the court’s inteim order on uniform has to be strictly followed

BENGALURU – Protests over hijab ban spread across the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Wednesday as the state government reopened pre-university, degree and diploma colleges under tight security arrangements. Many educational institutions sent back students who refused to take off their hijab.

Hijab-wearing students of Kundapur PU Government College returned home as they were not allowed to attend classes. The students were given a separate room to remove their hijab. The students maintained that they would wait for the final order of the court and till then they won’t attend classes.

Earlier, hijab-wearing students, who were stopped at the college gate, sat on the road protesting the decision.

At Vijayapura Government PU College, students in hijab picked up an argument with the principal of the college for denying permission to attend classes in hijab. More than 15 students argued that they should be allowed inside the classes pending final order from the court. They refused to go back home. “We want education as well as hijab,” they maintained.

Tight security was in place in Rabkavi Banhatti town of Bagalkot district from where violent incidents were reported. Earlier, four students were injured and a teacher was attacked and police resorted to lathi charge following stone pelting incidents. The students attended classes without hijab. Students in Yadgir, Ramnagar and Bengaluru Rural districts returned home after refusing to remove their hijab.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru police took Congress workers into custody who were allegedly found instigating Muslim students to wear hijab while attending classes near Government PU College of Malleshwaram. The police first said to have warned them against it before asking them to leave the place citing prohibitory orders in place.

However, the Congress workers demanded court orders. The principal of the college stated that earlier the students used to attend classes without hijab and that they had made no new rule.

Later, the Congress workers were taken into custody by the police.

Barring students, teachers and staff of colleges, movement of others were restricted in the surrounding areas of the colleges.
Meanwhile, state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra warned that the court order on uniform has to be strictly followed and that there was no question of students or anyone insisting on wearing hijab or saffron shawls. “There will be an action on such persons. There will be serious consequences if the law of the land and constitution is not respected,” he stated.

Mandya and Davanagere district authorities have clamped prohibitory orders surrounding all schools and colleges as a preventive measure. Udupi district from where the hijab row began has virtually been converted into a police fortress.

Eight platoons of District Armed Reserve (DAR), two platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and 700 police officers have been deployed on the premises of all colleges and schools in Udupi. MGM College of Udupi which witnessed high-drama regarding hijab earlier has declared holiday for indefinite period. The college administration has decided to take online classes.