Karnataka Hijab Row: Muslim students stage protests against hijab ban as colleges reopen

The hijab row in Karnataka has further escalated as students staged protests outside of the school and colleges campuses after being denied entry inside the premises for wearing a hijab, which is not in accordance with the order issued by the Karnataka High Court.

The first day of the college reopening in Karnataka saw an increase in tensions between students and administration as several Muslim students once again were denied entry inside the classrooms after they refused to take off their hijabs.

Agitated students took to the streets and protests erupted in several regions of Karnataka on February 16, as the Karnataka High Court resumed the hearing on the matter. Visuals from outsides colleges and pre-universities show burqa-clad students protesting against the dress code rule of educational institutes.

Muslim students in Karnataka made it clear that they will not attend their classes without wearing their hijabs. As per news agency ANI, one student said that they were willing to remove their burqas to attend their classes but not the hijabs.

 

We came to attend classes but they (school admin) asked us to remove Burqa & Hijab on entry. We were ready to remove Burqa but will not remove Hijab, says a student pic.twitter.com/oSKdvQXWru — ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

 

The student, while talking to ANI, said, “We came to attend classes but they (school administration) asked us to remove Burqa and Hijab on entry. We were ready to remove Burqa but will not remove Hijab.”

Meanwhile, the full bench of the Karnataka High Court, comprising chief justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, justice Krishna S Dixit, and justice JM Khazi resumed the hearing of arguments challenging the ban on wearing hijab in Karnataka schools.

Lingaraj Angadi, SJMV College for Women in Hubli announced that today was declared a holiday after the resumption of the High Court hearing as several students refused to remove their hijabs to attend classes, in accordance with the rules.

The Karnataka government, on Tuesday, decided to impose Section 144 of CrPC in several districts in the state one day ahead of the reopening of colleges to make sure that there are no rallies and protests amid the current controversy over the hijab ban.

The hijab row in Karnataka has also sparked a political debate in the state. While the BJP is defending the state government’s decision to impose a ban on headscarves in institutes, the Congress party is critcising the move, saying that it will restrict Muslim women from seeking education.