Karnataka students protest against wearing hijab in classrooms

Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka), May 26 (IANS) Hundreds of students in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district staged a protest on Thursday against wearing the hijab in classrooms.

The students from Mangaluru's University College boycotted classes in protest against allowing Muslim girls to wear hijab in class.

They demand that the college management prohibit students from wearing hijab in classes.

The students expressed anger at the authorities for allowing this despite the court and government orders.

The hijab crisis started earlier this year as a protest by six students of the Udupi Government Pre University Girl's College, which later escalated into a massive row.

The issue attracted international attention and dented the image of the state. The students filed a petition at Karnataka High Court seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms.

The High Court taking note of the situation and sensitivity of the matter, constituted a special bench and heard the petition immediately.

The special bench headed by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi dismissed the petition filed by students and observed that wearing of hijab is not an essential practice in Islam.

The government of Karnataka has issued guidelines for schools and pre-university colleges making uniform compulsory for students without giving any room for wearing of hijab in classrooms.