Protesters flung stones at one other in and around Udupi campuses while students raised saffron scarves at a college, intensifying hijab versus saffron scarves protests at Karnataka institutions.
The protest has spread to further cities, including Shivamogga, and has now surfaced in the BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry.
Harihara and Davengere banned large gatherings after hijab-wearing demonstrators and others wearing saffron scarves pelted stones at one other.
The BJP government in Karnataka has remained mainly silent as it awaits the outcome of a case filed by five women from a government college in Udupi challenging hijab rules on the campus.
The hijab protests began last month at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi, where six students claimed they were barred from classes for refusing to remove their headscarves. In Udupi and Chikkamagaluru, right-wing groups opposed Muslim girls wearing headscarves to school.
To maintain “peace and harmony,” all high schools and colleges are shut for three days following the order of Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai.
Talking about the issue that has spread across several educational institutes in Karnataka, a student said, “They think hijab is a piece of cloth. It is not a piece of cloth. We simply cannot give up.”
The college authorities are adamant about denying entry to students sporting hijab or stoles. The protests come even as colleges gear up for annual examinations.
“We had annual practical exams today, but they asked us to get out and come sans the hijabs. We have annual exams next week,” a student said.
The situation further deteriorated with incidents of stone-pelting being reported in Shivamogga, prompting authorities to impose Section 144 of the CrPC in the city.
CM BOMMAI APPEALS FOR PEACE
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai issued a statement on Tuesday on the ongoing hijab row in the Udupi district. He said, “All the concerned people (in the Udupi hijab row) should keep the peace and let children study.”
He added that the matter will be presented in the Karnataka High Court and that everyone should wait for their decision.
Edited by- Kritika Kashyap
Published by Jaspreet Singh
