A group of students again marched to their college wearing saffron scarf, amid protests by some Muslim girls in Karnataka demanding that they be allowed to attend classes wearing hijabs. In the video from Kundapur in Udupi district, boys and girls are seen wearing scarfs on college uniforms and shouting “Jai Shri Ram” slogans on their way to college. The protest made national headlines and started a political debate.
Congress and BJP have targeted each other on this issue.
In the video clip, Muslim students can be seen wearing scarfs over their uniforms in a separate row. A police car is also seen parked near the college.
The video shows police personnel trying to disperse groups of saffron-clad protesters, who had gathered near a market and were raising slogans.
According to officials, college rules allow students to wear hijab in class, but not during lessons.
But Karnataka Home Minister Araga Gyanendra said children should “neither wear a hijab nor a saffron scarf” to school.
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“School is the place where children of all religions should learn together and imbibe the spirit that we are not separate and all are children of Mother India,” Gyanendra told reporters.
He said, “There are religious organizations which think otherwise, I have asked the police to keep an eye on them. Those who hinder or weaken the unity of this country, they should be dealt with.”
This is the second such clash in BJP-ruled Karnataka after protests broke out at Udupi’s PU Girls College a month ago; students there are still struggling to be allowed to sit in class wearing hijabs.
The protests made national headlines and many questioned the move to deny girls admission to the college. Politicians have also attacked each other over their stand on the issue.
