Nearly 500 students of Kolkata’s Aliah University on Wednesday took out a rally in Park Circus area, with many women wearing hijab, amid a row over sporting the headscarf in Karnataka.
The participants, carrying the national flag, travelled around Entally and Park Circus before returning to their campus.
"As citizens of India, we have the right to decide what we wear and the right to follow our own religious practises,” read placards in Bengali, English and Hindi held by the students, referring to the controversial developments in the southern state over wearing hijab.
“Down with right-wing forces that want us to go back to the medieval ages," texts on some other posters read.
Incidents of stone-pelting and use of force by police were reported in Karnataka on Tuesday, as the hijab ban row escalated and protests by students spread to more colleges, prompting the state government to declare a three-day holiday for all educational institutions.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister K S Eshwarappa on Wednesday courted controversy by saying that the saffron flag (Bhagwa) could replace the tricolour as the national flag in the future.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) claims that the controversy surrounding hijab that began in Karnataka's Udupi, is a "ploy" and an agenda to spread "Jihadi anarchy".
Students from Nizamia Unani Tibbi College and Anwarul Uloom College in Hyderabad on Wednesday staged a protest in solidarity with the students opposing ban on Hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka.
The girl students at the Unani medical college near historic Charminar staged silent protest expressing their solidarity with those in Karnataka fighting for the right to wear Hijab.
Holding national flag and placards, the burka-clad protesters condemned the attempts to target girl students in the neighbouring state.
The Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday decided to wait for the High Court's verdict on the 'hijab' row, before taking any further decision on the matter, which has snowballed into a major controversy.
The Karnataka High Court resumed hearing on the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in the college.
"We (at the cabinet) discussed the Hijab row, but as the High Court is hearing the matter, we felt it is not appropriate for the cabinet to take any further decisions on the issue today. It was decided to wait for the court's verdict before taking any decision," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.
Credit: PTI Photo
Single bench of Karnataka High Court has referred the hijab matter to a larger bench.
"Having regard to the enormity of questions of importance which are debated, the court is of the considered opinion that the papers be put at the hand of CJ to decide if a larger bench can be constituted in the subject matter," Justice Krishna Dixit noted in the order..
Attorney General representing the Karnataka government said Wednesday that there are large judgments thathijab does not form an integral part of the religious practice, LiveLaw reported.
AG further said children must attend the class adhering to the dress code prescribed by the college.
AG also opposed an interim court order allowing students to attend colleges wearing hijab.
Senior advocates Sanjay Hegde and Devadatta Kamat representing the petitioners requested the court to grant an interim order allowing the students to attend the classes.
Hearing the matter on hijab row, Justice Krishan Dixit said a larger bench can consider the issue. "The wisdom emanating from neighbouring HC judgments needs to be treated. If you feel and all agree I can do this, " Justice Dixit said.
Tense situation continued in Karnataka in the backdrop of incidents of violence reported due to the hijab row. The police have arrested 15 persons so far.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has brought the 'hijab' row to Uttar Pradesh elections.
"The BJP government is not allowing our daughters to wear a hijab and study but Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about empowering Muslim women with the triple talaq law. Is this hisBeti Bachao, Beti Padhaocampaign pitch?" asked Owaisi while campaigning in Sambhal on Tuesday.
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The state government on Tuesday declared a three-day holiday for all high schools, colleges and universities as the hijab controversy turned into a law and order issue at several places.
Home minister Araga Jnanendra said that the government would probe the role of various organisations for instigating protests in parts of the state over the hijab row.