Bangalore: As Karnataka High Court is hearing the hijab row, another government college in Karnataka has become a site of protest as they sent away students who insisted on wearing the hijab in classrooms. The government PU College which earlier allowed wearing hijabs didn’t allow students wearing hijab in the classroom.
The college administration argued that they were only following the interim orders of the court, which had allowed educational institutes to reopen only on one condition that no religious clothing be allowed in classrooms. The students, however, say the college did not inform them that they would not be allowed in hijabs or burkhas.
The visuals from the college show that the students entering with hijab or burkhas, are arguing with the teachers, and the Principal of the school requesting them to follow the court order.
“We are in accordance with the High Court’s order that says no religious garment, whether hijab or saffron shawls, will be allowed inside educational institutions,” the Principal can be heard saying.
After the quarrel, the authorities assigned a separate space inside the institute for the students to take off hijabs and burkhas and allowed the students to enter the classroom.
The principal had stopped the students at the entrance of the college, but the students protested against the denial of the entry and forced their way in.
Amid being asked to leave the students protested by raising slogans of “we want justice” and expressed their anger about the issue to the media present there.
Some women police personnel could also be seen at the spot in the videos from the college.
On February 14 when the schools re-opened, the students were asked to take off their hijabs and burkhas at Karnataka, citing the court’s interim order stating that no religious clothing will be permitted inside the premises.
Videos of women being asked to remove their religious clothing in the open had caused a massive outcry on social media with many calling it a “humiliating” experience.
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