Hijab Row Highlights: Karnataka shouldn't decide permissibility of religious clothing, says US Amb. at Large for Int'l Religious Freedom

Amid the Hijab row in Karnataka, the government on Thursday decided to resume classes for high school students from next week, even as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated the High Court has said students should not wear a religious dress to colleges. The Hijab row started in December end when a few students started coming to the government pre-university college in Udupi wearing Hijab. Protesting against it, some Hindu students turned up wearing saffron scarves. Stay tuned for more updates.

Karnataka shouldn't decide permissibility of religious clothing, says US Amb at Large for Int'l Religious Freedom

Karnataka govt extends holidays for degree and diploma colleges till February 16

Bar body writes to PM, seeking students wear school uniforms across country

A bar body has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that students across the country wear school uniforms and not hijab or burqa as it is not permitted in "general secular institutions".

All India Bar Association claimed that “anti-social elements” were trying to spoil secular values in educational institutions by misguiding Muslim students to wear Niqab, Hijab, Burqa etc. in place of the prescribed “secular dress code” of the educational institutions. (PTI)

SFI holds protest outside Karnataka Bhawan over hijab row

The Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Friday protested outside the Karnataka Bhawan here to express solidarity with the Muslim women amid the ongoing hijab controversy.

SFI secretary Yashita Singh said she, along with several other activists, was detained during the protest.

"We were carrying out a peaceful protest but were detained by police. Several others were picked on their way to the protest site," Singh said.

The protest was being held against the "discrimination" of Muslim women for choosing to wear hijab, she said. (PTI) (IANS Photo)

MLA Raghupathi Bhat demands NIA probe into hijab controversy

MLA Raghupathi Bhat has demanded an NIA probe into the Hijab controversy.

Speaking to the reporters, the MLA said, "around 1500 to 2000 trainers have arrived from Hyderabad and Kerala to frame the strategies to fight for Hijab. There is information that some trainers had even come to Udupi from Hyderabad."

The MLA said he has written a letter to the state government demanding a thorough investigation into the incident. Read more

Hijab row: Mumbai MLA meets Karnataka girl, gifts iPhone

Karnataka college girl Muskaan Khan who confronted a crowd by raising slogans of "Allah hu Akbar" during protests that broke out onhijabrow, continues to be in news.

Congress MLA from Mumbai's Bandra Zeeshan Siddique came all the way from Maharashtra on Friday and paid visit to Muskan's residence in Mandya city. The MLA appreciated her "courage", assured support and gifted her an iPhone and smart watch. (IANS)

Protest against the recent hijab ban in few colleges of Karnataka state, on the outskirts of Mumbai

(Reuters Photo)

Hijab row: Decision on reopening PU and Degree Colleges likely on Feb 14: B C Nagesh

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh on Friday indicated that the government is likely to decide on reopening Pre-University and Degree Colleges on February 14. The government on Thursday had decided to resume classes for high school students up to class 10 from February 14, and for Pre-University and Degree Colleges thereafter. "...high schools will resume on Monday and during the meeting that will be convened by the Chief Minister on Monday evening, a decision will try to take a decision regarding starting classes for PUC and Degree College students at the earliest," Nagesh said. (PTI)

Shabana Azmi blows holes into Kangana Ranaut's hijab row argument

On Thursday, Kangana had shared her views on the controversy that has flared up in Karnataka over whether students should be permitted to wear the hijab in educational institutions or not.

Kangana shared a post by scientist and author Anand Ranganathan and wrote on Instagram: "If you want to show courage, show it by not wearing burqa in Afghanistan. Learn to break free, not cage yourself." Read more

Case registered against protesters in Maharashtra over Hijab row

A case has been registered against the organisers for the protest that took place in Malegaon, yesterday. Notices have been sent to the people involved. Hijab rowmatter is pending in the High Court, so no one should disturb law & order: Sachin Patil, SP Nashik Rural

Hijab controversy reaches UP, Opposition parties smell 'conspiracy'

The hijabcontroversy, which has rocked Karnataka, has reached Uttar Pradesh amid the ongoing assembly elections with Muslim students taking out protest marches and the Opposition parties allegingthat it was a 'conspiracy' to 'polarise' the polls along communal lines.

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Karnataka High Court bars students from wearing saffron shawls, hijabs in classroom till further orders

The three-judge full bench of the Karnataka High Court has passed an order restraining all the students, regardless of their religion or faith, from wearing saffron (Bhagwa) shawls, scarf, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders.

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Karnataka High Court hearing Hijab row requests state government to reopen educational institutions; restrains all students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, Hijab and any religious flag within the classroom

Kerala Governor backs ban on hijab in Karnataka

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has backed the ban of hijab by referring to a story from history.

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Uniform Civil Code need of the hour, says Giriraj Singh

Efforts are being made every day to break the country from every corner in the name of province and religion. The situation is being created in such a way that the Uniform Civil Code has become the need of the hour. Now certain sections of people have started deciding the law of the land.

Hijab row: Protesting girls' info shared, parents lodge complaint

Parents of six Muslim girl students, who are protesting for their right to wear hijab at the pre-university college in Udupi, have lodged a complaint with the police that the personal details of their children are being shared by some people on social media. The parents, who submitted a complaint to the Udupi district Superintendent of Police N Vishnuvardhan, sought action against those sharing the details of the girls, including their mobile numbers, in the public domain. The parents have expressed fear that miscreants might use the details to threaten the girls. Vishnuvardhan said the girls’ parents have submitted a written complaint to him.Documentary evidence of the information available online has been sought from them and appropriate action will be taken once it is received, he said.

'Don't make it a national issue': SC asks lawyers

Supreme Court says it is watching what is happening in Karnataka and in the hearing before the High Court. Supreme Court asks lawyers to not make it a national-level issue and it will interfere at an appropriate time.

Supreme Court refuses to give an urgent hearing on plea challenging interim order of Karnataka High Court

Cong only knows how to gather votes: Anurag Thakur slams Cong's stand on hijab row

They (Congress) talk about bikini/hijab, CAA/Rafale, but the public never accepts them because they never talk about poor welfare. They only know how to gather votes with politics of appeasement...You can write down, Akhilesh (SP chief) will lose from his seat: Union Min Anurag Thakur

Complaint against Muslim outfit for rewarding student chanting 'Allah hu Akbar'

Narendra Modi Vichar Manch has lodged a complaint with Mandya Police against Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind for announcing a Rs 5 lakh cash reward to the student who raised the 'Allah hu Akbar' slogan during protests in connection with hijab row in the district of Karnataka.

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Muslim women during a protest in support of wearing 'hijab' in educational institutions, at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi.

Karnataka High Court's February 10 interim order to restrain students from wearing hijab or any religious attire till the matter is pending with the court has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Fresh plea in Supreme Court on Karnataka hijab row

A fresh plea was filed in the Supreme Court Thursday on the hijab row in Karnataka raising the issue of the right to practice religion as enshrined as a fundamental right in the Constitution.

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Hijab row: Dharwad proves a beacon of peace as trouble brews elsewhere

Even as the controversy over wearing hijab in colleges is taking a violent turn across the state, Dharwad, which is the hub of education with a sizeable Muslim population, keeps cool much to the delight of academicians and parents.

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Hijab a local issue, outside forces spoiled students' minds: Udupi MLA

Raghupathi Bhat, three-time MLA from Udupi — which is currently the epicentre of ‘hijab row’ — is busier than ever, addressing the media and attending phone call after phone call.

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Hijab row a bid by BJP to divert attention: Siddaramaiah

The ruling party in the state is resorting to diversionary tactics by raking up hijab controversy. The BJP has no pro-welfare measures to show and every time an election nears, they rake up such issues, Opposition leader Siddaramaiahcharged on Thursday.

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Over 1,000 groups, individuals condemn 'targeting, exclusion' of hijab-wearing Muslim students

More than 1,000 feminists, democratic groups, collectives, academicians, lawyers and individuals from various walks of life came together to condemn the "targeting and exclusion" of hijab-wearing Muslim students on Thursday, while alleging that the head scarf is only the latest pretext to impose an "apartheid" on Muslim women.

In an open letter signed by over 1,850 people, the signatories stated that they firmly believe that the Constitution mandates schools and colleges to nurture plurality, not uniformity.

"Uniforms in such institutions are meant to minimise the differences between students of different and unequal economic classes. They are not intended to impose cultural uniformity on a plural country. This is why Sikhs are allowed to wear turbans not only in the classroom but even in police and the Army," they said.

Hijab row: Udupi MLA welcomes Karnataka HC order

Welcoming the Karnataka High Court interim order on the Hijab issue, Udupi MLA and president of Udupi government PU college development committee K Raghupati Bhat on Thursday said a responsible decision has been taken by it considering the future of the students. The interim order passed by the High Court is excellent, he told reporters in Udupi and hoped that there will be daily hearings on the issue next week.

'Big irony', says CPI(M) on hijab ban, questions 'Surya Namaskar' programmes in colleges

The CPI(M) said it is a "big irony" that the very department which has ordered that 'hijabs' cannot be worn in pre-university colleges is the same one which called for a week-long performance of 'Surya Namaskar' to commemorate the 75th year of Independence in colleges across Karnataka.

An editorial in party mouthpiece "People's Democracy" said the statements made by ministers, MPs and MLAs on the issue make it clear that Muslims are being "targeted for their religious identity and will be treated as second-class citizens and denied the equal rights provided under the Constitution".