Hijab row: Calm prevails as high schools and colleges shut for 3 days

Bengaluru, Feb 9: Calm prevailed on Wednesday in the educational institutions which witnessed tense moments over the Hijab row earlier, as the Karnataka government had ordered closure of all high schools and colleges in the state for three days. Most of them returned to the online mode of teaching, sources said.

Primary schools functioned as usual across the state without any interruption. Protests for and against the 'hijab' had intensified in different parts of Karnataka and turned violent in some places on Tuesday.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Wednesday charged the Congress with fueling the Hijab row.

"Congress leaders are adding fuel to the fire in connection with the Hijab issue. If they continue to do so in future, people in Karnataka will throw them in the Arabian Sea," Jnanendra told reporters here.

He added that the Congress Karnataka Chief D K Shivakumar has given wrong information to the media that the Indian tricolour was brought down in Shivamogga and was replaced with saffron flag.

"National tricolour is never flown all the time. Shivakumar is speaking irresponsibly. We can understand the motive behind such statement coming from a senior leader ," the minister alleged. Denouncing Congress, Ashoka said, "It is not good for the Congress to instigate people. They give some statement and instigate people.

Congress' conspiracy is clearly visible in this issue. One section is fanning this issue while the other is trying to douse it." He added that the government has already clarified that wearing of Hijab and the saffron scarves are not allowed in the classrooms.

Noting that the government will abide by the High Court order, the minister said it was not good to take law into the hands when the government has already issued an order clarifying on the dress code.

The Karnataka High Court is hearing the matter on a batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka government order dated February 5, which prohibited any cloth other than the prescribed uniform, which disturbed peace, harmony and, law and order.

Jnanendra on Tuesday night held a meeting with the Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh. "We ministers held meeting along with the officials to take stock of the situation. The matter is pending in the court and we are waiting for the outcome. Already, a circular has been issued on the dress code," he had told reporters here.

Lamenting that the COVID had already spoilt two precious years, the minister said when the atmosphere was conducive for education, this controversy erupted, which has to be put an end to immediately.

Vikas M, studying in a pre-university college in the city said the second and third wave of COVID had badly affected their studies due to which they could not complete their courses, especially the practical classes.

"Now, this issue has further hampered our studies. Online classes are no match to the physical classes but we have to cope with it," Vikas told PTI.