The dispute over wearing of hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka led to tension at a college in Udupi district on Tuesday morning.
Video clips from the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) College in Udupi showed rival groups of students shouting slogans and arguing.
One group of girl students was wearing hijab, while the other group wore saffron stoles and headgear. The group wearing saffron was heard shouting “Jai Shri Ram”.
NDTV reported police personnel had been deployed outside the college premises. A hijab-wearing girl told NDTV the college principal said girls wearing hijab would have to remove it if they wanted to attend classes.
On Monday, The News Minute reported that “Hindu students at the MGM College in Udupi allegedly demanded that Muslim girl students remove their hijab, quoting the Karnataka government order, which said that status quo should remain, and a uniform style of clothing must be worn, and students must not disturb equality, integrity and public law and order.”
The News Minute added, “The college principal held a meeting with the groups and asked the students to remove the hijab before entering class on Tuesday, February 8. The students—organised through the Hindu Jagarana Vedike—have said they will wear the saffron shawl, dhoti and rudraksha beads if the Muslim girls don’t remove their hijab.”
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The standoff comes hours before the Karnataka High Court takes up a plea from a group of Muslim students against moves by educational institutions to stop wearing of hijab.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called for peace over the issue. Bommai was quoted by ANI as saying, “All the concerned people (in the Udupi hijab row) should keep the peace and let children study. The matter will be presented in High Court today, let’s wait for it.”
