Mangalore: Karnataka’s hijab row seems to have resurfaced, as Muslim students on Thursday protested outside the District Collectorate in Mangalore seeking action against the protest held at Mangalore University.
The Muslim girls, enrolled at the university claimed that Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had planned the protest held in the university. In a video shared on Twitter, a girl can be heard demanding the collector to allow them in the university while sporting the hijab.
The girl is seen displaying the letter which they wanted to submit at the collector. The group also displayed WhatsApp messages which hint at a larger protest being planned in the coming days.
Earlier on Thursday, a group of students held a protest on Mangalore University campus demanding the varsity to implement the Karnataka high court order on the Hijab row.
Mangalore University protest
The protest happened in Mangaluru where students of Mangalore University protested outside the campus on Thursday alleging that the college authorities have failed to implement the Karnataka High Court’s verdict that wearing of hijab is not an essential part of Islam.
One of the students speaking in the video says, “There was a PTA meeting where many parents complained to the management of not following the HC’s verdict. But nothing was done. Around 40 Muslim students have been wearing Hijab and they are not stopped by the college management. That’s why we are protesting outside the college campus”
Background of the Hijab Row:
The hijab controversy erupted and has been raging since January, after students of a pre-university college in Karnataka’s Udupi were prohibited from wearing headscarves (hijab), as part of their religious obligation, on the college premises. The issue blew up after Hindu students turned up to their colleges wearing saffron scarves in a protest against hijabi Muslims being allowed to wear headscarves.
The state was forced to form a committee to decide on the issue and prohibited the students from wearing any religious garment, including the hijab until a decision is reached.
However, a number of protests by saffron-clad students and Muslims around the state forced the state to shut down schools and colleges for a few days.
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