Mischievous people keeping hijab issue burning: HC appeals for calm

New Delhi, February 8

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The ongoing hijab versus saffron scarves campus row in Karnataka spread across several cities today, prompting the state government to shut down educational institutions for three days and the High Court to appeal for peace while it considers a petition by a group of Muslim women on their right to wear a hijab to college.

Observing that “only some mischievous people were keeping the issue burning”, the Karnataka High Court said, “Pending further hearing in the matter, this court requests students and the public at large to maintain peace. This court has full faith in the wisdom and virtue of the public.”

Restricted to Udupi so far, where the controversy first erupted last month when some students of Government Girls PU College complained of being barred from entry for wearing hijabs, the protests spread to other campuses with instances of stone pelting by competing sides being reported from Shivamoga, Harihara and Davengere. Amid reports of injuries and stone pelting in Shivamoga, the police issued prohibitory orders for two days. This, after a group of saffron scarf sporting boys raised religious slogans and hoisted a saffron flag on the campus.

In Udupi and Bagalkote also cops had to intervene to control the situation as tempers ran high. At a college in Mandya, a video of a burqa-clad girl being heckled by some boys went viral, with the two sides raising religious slogans.

On Saturday, the state government had banned clothes it said could “disturb equality, integrity and public order”. The government said in cases where the management committees of colleges had not selected uniforms, clothes with a potential to disturb public order should not be worn. The Karnataka CM said: “I appeal to all students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony.”