Though the state education department of the Government of Karnataka issued an order on Saturday, February 5, which mandated uniforms decided upon by the state government or the respective institutions, the hijab-saffron shawl row continued at two colleges at Kundapur in Udupi district of Karnataka. Students tried to defy the order and were prevented from entering the campus.
At Venkataramana College in Kundapur, a procession of students turned up on campus wearing saffron shawls and hence, were stopped from entering the campus by both the police and the college principal.
The students, as per a report in PTI, shared that they will continue to wear saffron shawls if girls wearing hijab were allowed in classes. They agreed to remove their shawls only after the college principal gave an assurance that no girls wearing hijab will be allowed inside the classrooms.
Whereas, at Government PU College in Kundapur, it was noted that the principal was in talks with a few Muslim girls who turned up in hijabs. The government order was explained to them. When the students insisted on wearing hijab, they were requested to occupy another room which was arranged for them.
It was only last week when hijab-wearing girls were protesting outside the college gate when they were not allowed to enter just because they were wearing a hijab.