Karnataka Hijab Row Only in 8 Schools & PU Colleges, Says Govt; HC Posts Matter for Friday | Updates

The hijab row in Karnataka continued to take over the state, as well as India, on Thursday as protests continued among communities, while the government said it will abide by the orders of the Karnataka High Court which posted the matter for Friday at 2:30 pm for further hearing.

The Karnataka hijab row erupted since the last week of December after some hijab-clad schoolgirls were denied entry from entering college, prompting massive protests in the state. The state government had earlier this month invoked the Karnataka Education Act, forbidding on educational campuses any piece of cloth that affects harmony, equality and public. The government has also imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 in several cities and districts, including Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Koppal, Davangere and Ramanagara.

The Karnataka High Court had previously, in its interim order, banned wearing any religious elements in colleges, which resulted in intensified protests and several Muslim girls skipping classes to resist. On Wednesday, during the hearing, the high court said that Article 15 bans headdresses for everyone.

Appearing on behalf of the students, advocate Ravi Varma Kumar asked the high court why no other religious symbol is considered in the impugned government order.  He also referred to Article 15 of the Constitution and said the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, and said that Muslims were being discriminated just because of their religion. To this, the HC said: “You say Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion. But the rule prohibits headdresses for everyone, and not only to one particular section.”

LATEST UPDATES ON KARNATAKA HIJAB ROW

• 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.
• In Kodagu, more than 30 students stage silent protest outside FMC College. They demanded that the DC come to the spot immediately and hear their plea
• More than 40 students have refused to remove Hijab at Government Girls PU college in Chitradurga and are staging protest outside college gate. In Yadgir, more than 30 girls have skipped classes and went back home after not being allowed to wear Hijab to the classroom at New Kannada college near Kanaka Circle.
• At DVS College in Shivamogga, burqa and hijab clad students were stopped by the college administration at the gate, ANI reported on Thursday. In Raichur, just one student came to Government PU college. Most students at this college decided to skip college. Yesterday too just four students attended the college.
• Students at Sarala Devi College in Bellary questioned how can Hindu students be allowed inside the campus while wearing bindi, bangles and they also be sent out. The students got into an argument with the police for preventing them from entering the premises of the college.
• Police clamped prohibitory orders in Hubballi-Dharwad under Section 144 of the CrPC within a 200m radius of all educational institutions with immediate effect till February 28, ANI reported.

• Ramanagara First Grade College has suspended offline classes, opting for online mode after students protested demanding that hijab be allowed inside the classroom
• “There is no tension in Udupi. The situation is 100 per cent peaceful. We’re executing the High Court’s (interim) order,” ST Siddalingappa, Additional SP, Udupi was quoted by ANI as saying.
• However, according to a PTI report, 60 final year students of the government G Shankar memorial women’s first grade degree college returned home after they were told to take off their hijabs by college authorities. Though the Muslim girl students argued with the authorities saying the chief minister has clarified that uniforms are not mandatory in degree colleges, the authorities said it is the college development committee that fixed the rules.

• BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya during an event in Bhopal on Wednesday said that there was no need to wear hijabs anywhere. “No need to wear Hijab anywhere. People who are not safe in their houses need to wear Hijab. While outside, wherever there is ‘Hindu Samaj’, they are not required to wear Hijab especially at places where they study,” ANI quoted her as saying.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1494137414591594496

• An NDTV report citing a widely shared video said that police was seen beating up Muslim women in burqa during a protest against the hijab ban at Ghaziabad in UP. An FIR has been registered against the police personnel by the protesters regarding the matter.
• The security has been tightened around colleges all over the state. Many students have stated that they would come back to colleges wearing hijab on Thursday, in spite of being turned away on Wednesday.

Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here