Opposition raises Karnataka hijab row in Parliament

New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS): The opposition on Monday raised the Karnataka hijab row in the Lok Sabha and many MPs moved adjournment motions. Congress, IUML and some other members raised the issue which is hogging the national attention these days. T.N. Prathapan, Congress MP said, "I request the Education Minister to intervene in this matter to ensure the constitutional rights of the students are upheld and matter is resolved." Earlier, IUML Lok Sabha MPs had given adjournment notice to demand discussion on the Udupi Hijab row in Karnataka which took place recently. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Education Minister B.C. Nagesh urged the students not to get provoked and follow government orders. Addressing the media, Bommai, who is currently in New Delhi, said all the students must follow the state government order issued regarding uniforms. The students must not make any attempt to disturb peace, he added. "The court order is coming tomorrow (Tuesday). The state government will take a decision on the issue once the order comes. As the case is before the court I don't want to speak on it," he said. Lashing out at the government, Congress leader in the legislative council B.K. Hariprasad said, "BJP is fishing in dangerous waters by meddling in Hijab-Saffron row in Udupi district. It shows their sinister plans to create issues out of nothing for petty political gains. BJP is posing risk to students' education which is already affected by the pandemic." The state Education Minister defended the order of sending hijab wearing and saffron cladding students to separate rooms in the Udupi Government PU College, adding that the government will frame rules on uniform after High Court order. The management of Kundapur Government Pre University College also sent hijab wearing and saffron shawls cladding students to separate rooms inside the premises of the college. The College Development Committee spokesperson Mohan Das Shenoy stated that Muslim students who are agitating outside would be allowed inside the college premises and given a separate room. However, they won't be allowed to attend classes until they remove the hijab as per the government order. The hijab row has now spread across the state, including in Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagalur, Hassan, Mandya, Vijayapura. It has affected seven colleges in Udupi alone, while also spread to Bommai's native district of Haveri. The row took a new turn with students of IDSG College in Chikkamaglur district, who came in blue shawls in support of wearing the hijab by Muslim students. They raised 'Jai Bheem' slogans and condemned the communalisation of education. After declaring a holiday at the Shanteshwar PUC College and GRB Colleges in Vijayapura, the saffron shawl wearing students gathered in front of the entrance gates and raised the slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram'. The Muslim students who came wearing the hijab have said that they were not bothered about the state government's order and were awaiting for the directive from the High Court of Karnataka on the matter.