Bengaluru: As part of a statewide campaign opposing the government’s move to allow hijabs in schools in Karnataka, Sri Rama Sena and other Hindutva groups, on Monday, June 1, distributed saffron scarfs outside several institutions’ premises in Hubbali.
The Siddaramaiah-led government officially withdrew the 2022 order issued by the previous BJP government, which effectively restricted the wearing of hijab in educational institutions. On May 13, the state government issued a fresh dress code order allowing students to wear traditional and religious symbols such as the hijab, sacred thread (janeu), Shivadhara, rudraksha beads and turbans along with prescribed school uniforms.
The decision witnessed strong opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party and several Hindutva organisations. They called out Congress for playing appeasement politics and alleged the move could once again create divisions among students.
The state government defended its decision, maintaining that the order was aimed at accommodating long-standing religious practices rather than introducing new forms of religious expression in educational institutions.
With the saffron scarf campaign expected to intensify in the coming days, the controversy has once again brought the issue of religious attire in Karnataka’s educational institutions to the forefront of public and political discourse.
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