The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has written to Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah, seeking immediate action over an alleged case of religious discrimination at Sri Soubhagya Lalitha College of Nursing in Banashankari, affiliated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).
According to the association, several Kashmiri female students have been barred from attending classes for wearing the hijab or burkha.
In a letter to the CM on Tuesday, July 15, the JKSA alleged that the students have faced repeated harassment over several days, being denied entry into classrooms and practical sessions and threatened with expulsion if they continued to wear their religious attire, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the JKSA, stated that the college chairman allegedly entered a classroom and ordered hijab-wearing students to leave immediately. When students questioned the directive, they were reportedly told, “This is our college; only our rules apply.” The chairman and principal allegedly warned the students that further defiance could result in termination and withholding of academic records.
The college reportedly justified its actions by citing “university rules” prohibiting hijabs or burkhas, a claim the JKSA disputes, noting that no such ban exists under Indian law or official university regulations. In the letter, JKSA highlighted this as a serious violation of fundamental rights, including the right to religion (Article 25), protection against discrimination (Article 15), and the right to education (Article 21A) under the Indian Constitution, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
Khuehami further alleged that the college officials claimed hijabs were not allowed for medical students anywhere in the country, including Kashmir, and dismissed constitutional protections, reportedly stating, “No article or fundamental right is applicable in our college.”
The JKSA urged the CM to ensure the students are allowed to attend classes without being forced to remove their religious attire. It also demanded a thorough investigation by the state education department, RGUHS, and the State Minority Commission, along with disciplinary action against any officials found guilty of violating constitutional rights.
The institute was not available for comment when contacted by The New Indian Express.
