Hijab row: Udupi BJP MLA holds meeting with parents, political leaders

Udupi BJP MLA Raghupathi Bhat on Sunday held a meeting with parents of school students and various political leaders at the Taluq office in Udupi, amid the ongoing hijab controversy in the state.

Karnataka Police, PU College Development Committee Vice President Yashpal Suvarna, President of Udupi City Municipal Council and BJP leader Sumitra Nayak along with others were present at the meeting.

The Hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district.

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

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court also appealed to the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state.

The Karnataka High Court on Friday uploaded the interim order passed in the petitions challenging the Hijab ban in colleges in the state. The hearing of the petitions will continue on February 14.