Hijab row: Karnataka Police prohibits gatherings, agitations near educational institutions in Bengaluru

New Delhi, Feb 9: Following protests over Hijab row in parts of Karnataka, Karnataka Police on Wednesday announced that any gatherings, agitations or protests within the area of 200-metre radius from the gates of schools, PU colleges, degree colleges or other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru city are being prohibited with immediate effect.

"Kamal Pant, IPS, Commissioner of Police and Additional District Magistrate, Bengaluru City, hereby prohibit any gathering, agitation or protest of any type within the area of 200 mtrs radius from the gate(s) of the Schools, PU Colleges, Degree Colleges or other similar Educational Institutions in Bengaluru City, for a period of two weeks with immediate effect i.e. from 9-2-2022 to 22-2-2022," a statement from the Bengaluru Police said.

The order highlighted that, in the last few days, protests and agitations have been held in connection with strict enforcement of schools/colleges Uniform Rules. "Whereas, at some places, these protests have lead to violence, disturbing public peace and order. Since the possibility of similar agitations/ protests being held in Bengaluru city cannot be ruled, it is very essential to initiate proper security measures to maintain public peace and order in Bengaluru city," it read.

The controversy around wearing Hijab broke out in January after some Muslim students at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district in Karnataka alleged that they had been barred from attending classes.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district.

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

Following these protests, a three-day holiday from February 9 has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE).

On Wednesday, the single judge of the Karnataka High Court hearing the case related to the Hijab ban in school-college campuses referred the matter to Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi with a view that the CJ may decide on constituting a larger bench to look into the case.