Hijab row: All schools, colleges in Karnataka to remain shut for three days
Bengaluru/IBNS: All schools and colleges in Karnataka will be shut for the next three days after the row over wearing hijab by students inside campuses turned violent on Tuesday.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed to students to maintain peace and informed them about the order of high schools and colleges' closure.
"I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. I have ordered closure of all high schools and colleges for next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate," Bommai tweeted.
I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. I have ordered closure of all high schools and colleges for next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate.
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) February 8, 2022
This comes as the Karnataka High Court is hearing petitions filed by five women from a government college in Udupi, questioning hijab restrictions.
The high court will continue the hearing on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, stone pelting was reported in Bagalkot earlier in the day during a student protest against a ban on hijab and saffron scarves inside college campuses.
The clash broke out over an argument between hijab-wearing students and another group of students who came in saffron scarves, police said.
Three students were injured in the stone-pelting, the police added.
In Vijayapura district, the hijab-wearing and saffron shawl wearing students were stopped at the entrance of the Shanteshwar Pre University College of Indi town.
They raised slogans after they were restricted from entering the campus.
Another group emerged with blue shawls supporting the wearing of hijab by the Muslim students, which led to chaos. The police rushed to control the situation.
The protest also intensified at the Mandya PES College as students wearing hijab shouted "Allah o Akbar'' and the Hindu students retaliated with "Jai Shri Ram".
The controversy also spilt over to a college in Chikmagalur.
Tension also prevailed in the Udupi MGM College where hijab and saffron scarves wearing students arrived at the campus but the management declared a holiday for an indefinite period.
Police have been deployed at the college and are monitoring the situation.
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