While the Karnataka High Court is hearing the issue of allowing religious wear in educational institutions, another government college in the state has sent back those girl students who insisted on wearing hijab in the classroom.
Government PU College in Vijayapura in northern Karnataka was earlier allowed to wear hijab, but on Wednesday, they did not allow girl students to wear hijab to the classroom. The college administration argues that they are only following the interim order of the High Court, in which schools-colleges were allowed to be opened on the condition that the wearing of religious clothes would not be allowed in the classrooms.
However, according to the girl students, the college had not informed them that wearing hijab or burqa would not be allowed.
In dramatic photographs obtained from the college, it can be seen that some girl students, who had entered the classroom wearing hijab and burqa, are arguing with the teacher, and the school principal is requesting them to obey the court order.
The principal can be heard saying, “We are complying with the order of the High Court which states that no religious dress shall be allowed in educational institutions, whether it is hijab, or saffron shawls… “
After some debate, these girl students were allowed to go to a room inside the college, taking off the hijab and burqa and going to the bedroom. The principal had stopped these girl students at the entrance of the college itself, but they forcibly entered inside, and protested against not being given admission. When they were asked to leave, the girl students protested by raising slogans of ‘We want justice’, and expressed their views in front of the media present there.
Some women policemen can also be seen in some videos obtained from the college.
