Burqa-clad students not allowed into Karnataka colleges

Amid tight security with policemen deployed in and around Pre-university colleges at many sensitive places, the day saw a section of Muslim students remaining adamant not to remove the Burqa, let alone Hijab, the Islamic scarves.

In Udupi district, pre-university and degree colleges reopened on Wednesday even as police are keeping a vigil around the colleges where prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been clamped.

Classes are being held smoothly at the college where other Muslim students removed hijabs before entering classrooms. The 23 girl students who also insisted on wearing hijab at the government PU college at Kundapur in the district also kept away from classes on Wednesday. They were made to sit in a separate room last week when they refused to remove the headscarves before entering classes.

Classes did not resume at the MGM college, Manipal in Udupi, where chaotic scenes were witnessed last week with groups of students raising slogans against each other. 

The authorities had declared a holiday for the college on Wednesday. Muslim students were allowed to enter classes after removing hijabs at the G Shankar government women’s first grade college at Ajjarkad in the district. Those who refused were made to sit in a separate classroom.

The students complained that they were wearing hijabs to classes all through the academic year and the new decision has come all of a sudden.