Hijab row intensifies: Girls, parents stage protest

The hijab row has intensified further in the coastal district on Friday with Muslim girl students staging flash protests in front of Government PU College and Bhandarkar’s College in Kundapur after the students in headscarves were prevented from entering colleges.

The agitating students, joined by parents and members of a few organisations, argued with Principal of Govt PU College B G Raghavendra and staff, who attempted to seal the gate in a bid to prevent the hijab-clad students from entering the classrooms.

The college staff also denied the students wearing saffron shawls (angavastra) from entering into the classrooms. A while later, the principal managed to convince the students to remove saffron shawls and allowed them to enter classrooms. However, the hijab-clad students stood their ground. They stayed outside the gate.

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The agitating parents relented after Kundapur SI Srikanth threatened to file an FIR if they continued with their protest.

In order to prevent further untoward incidents the Govt PU College has declared a holiday Saturday.

At Bhandarkar’s College, several students, expressing their solidarity, joined the protesting girls. The girls sat on the road in front of the college and shouted slogans against the college management.

According to the Bhandarkar’s College prospectus for the year 2021-22, girl students were permitted to wear headscarves within campus. But the colour of the scarf should match with that of their dupatta. “But now the college administration argues that if girls are allowed to wear hijab, other students would flaunt saffron shawls and the situation might go out of control,’’ the students said.

The students said if the hijab ban was communicated to them during admission, they would have sought admission in a different college.

Meanwhile, at Women’s Government College in Udupi, where it all started, students continued to sit outside the classrooms, listening to the lectures.

Meanwhile, government junior PU college in Kundapura will remain closed on Saturday as a holiday has bee declared.

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