Karnataka hijab row: CM Basavaraj Bommai orders closure of all high schools, colleges for three days

Bengaluru: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday ordered the closure of all high schools and colleges for the next three days in view of the ongoing protests over the hijab controversy in the state. 

Amid the ongoing controversy over wearing hijab in college, the Karnataka Chief Minister has also asked all concerned to keep the peace and let children study. "All the concerned people (in the Udupi hijab row) should keep the peace and let children study. The matter will be presented in High Court today, let`s wait for it," CM Bommai said.

ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು, ಶಿಕ್ಷಕರು, ಶಾಲೆ, ಕಾಲೇಜುಗಳ ಆಡಳಿತ ಮಂಡಳಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ನಾಡಿನ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಜನತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಂತಿ ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆ ಕಾಪಾಡುವಂತೆ ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಮುಂದಿನ ಮೂರು ದಿನಗಳ ಅವಧಿಗೆ ಶಾಲೆ ಕಾಲೇಜುಗಳಿಗೆ ರಜೆ ಘೋಷಿಸುವಂತೆ ಆದೇಶಿಸಲಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಸಹಕರಿಸಲು ಕೋರುತ್ತೇನೆ.

— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) February 8, 2022

Meanwhile, Muslim students of the college questioned if the right to education under `Beti Bachao Beti Padhao` is not for them. Protests have erupted at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi as students wearing hijab and another group of students wearing saffron stoles-headgears raise slogans on the college campus.

Notably, Karnataka State Primary and High School Education Minister BC Nagesh recently said that the students wearing hijab in Kundapura were allowed to enter college premises as a "courtesy" while maintaining that complying with uniform code is a must.

The minister made it clear that the students will need to follow the rules. "Ours is not a Pakistani culture. It is Indian culture. These girls aren`t aware of the school norms and customs, and they will understand later," Nagesh told media persons.

The Karnataka High Court will hear petitions filed by five women from a government pre-university college in Udupi, questioning Hijab restrictions. The Hijab protests began on February 4 at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district when some students alleged that they had been barred from attending classes.

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.