In the wake of the ‘hijab’ row, the Karnataka government has asked educational institutions to follow existing uniform-related rules, until the High Court comes out with an order in this regard, next week.
With the issue escalating into a major hullabaloo spreading to other educational institutions, and the matter coming up before the High Court, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today held a meeting with Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh and top government officials, regarding the government’s stand.
Alleging “hidden hands” behind the hijab controversy as attempts are on to make it international news, Nagesh said,
“Some people who are against this country, as part of propaganda, are doing this. They are unable to digest India’s standing globally and the respect our Prime Minister is getting internationally.”
Congress leader Siddaramaiah threw his weight behind Muslim girls on their right to wear the hijab to educational institutions and hit out at the BJP government.
Speaking to reporters here, the Minister said, rules have been framed in 2013, 2018 on the basis of the Karnataka Education Act, according to which educational institutions and its SDMC (School Development and Monitoring Committee) have the right to prescribe the uniform to its students.
“We have gone through all this and the government will make a decision soon. We have already issued a circular stating that uniforms prescribed by the SCDMs before the academic year and worn by the students until now, should be continued until the High Court’s verdict is out,” he said, adding that no one can impose their personal or any religion’s stand in educational institutions.
CT Ravi, another senior BJP leader, said the students should follow rules or stay away.
The hijab protests began weeks ago at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district when six students alleged that they had been barred from classes for insisting on wearing the headscarf. The trouble started when a large group of boys showed up in college wearing saffron shawls on Wednesday to counter the hijab. To avoid communal tension, the college administration decided to ask the women to attend classes without the hijab.
