Hijab Controversy: Students chose to sit in a separate room, says BC Nagesh

NEW DELHI: BC Nagesh, Karnataka minister of primary and secondary education has disputed the news reports that said hijab-wearing students were seated in separated classrooms in Government Pre-University (PU) College, Kundapura and said that students protesting outside the campus were allowed to enter campus and were asked to wear uniforms and attend classes.

Retweeting a tweet by the Asian News International, which claimed students wearing hijab will be seated in a separate classroom, Nagesh said in his official Twitter handle, “This is not correct fact. Students protesting outside campus were allowed inside campus as a courtesy. They were asked to wear uniform and attend classes. They however chose to sit in separate room and continue protest. Students must adhere to dress code to attend classes,”

This is not correct fact.

Students protesting outside campus were allowed inside campus as a courtesy. They were asked to wear uniform & attend classes.

They however chose to sit in separate room & continue protest.

Students must adhere to dress code to attend classes. https://t.co/lFGGPTjPqS

— B.C Nagesh (@BCNagesh_bjp) February 7, 2022

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The Karnataka High Court will hear a plea filed by five girl students of Government PU College, Udupi on Tuesday. The plea was made against the restrictions imposed on wearing hijab in college.

The hijab controversy in Karnataka began when six students of a government PU college in the Udupi district were sent out since they were wearing hijab in violation of the college dress code. The issue spread to other educational institutions gradually. According to various media reports, students from many educational institutions in parts of Karnataka protested against wearing hijab by wearing saffron shawls. The incidents took a political turn when the BJP government in Karnataka supported the uniform codes in educational institutions and the Congress opposition came forward in support of religious freedom.

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