Two Hijab petitioners were sent back to Karnataka on Friday for insisting on taking their exams wearing hijab. This culminated in a major crisis in the state and then an international controversy.
Tehsildar Archana Bhat personally spoke to them and timing for entry to exam hall was extended to 10.30 a.m. for them. However, Alia Assadi and Reshma insisted on writing the exams clad in hijab.
When the authorities refused, both the students came out of the examination centre and boarded an auto back to their homes. They did not react to the media. The girls had not collected their hall tickets till Friday morning.
Just before the examination, they collected their hall tickets and attempted to write the exam in hijab.
Earlier, the Special Bench of the Karnataka High Court had dismissed their petitions seeking permission to wear hijab and attend classes. It also mentioned that wearing a hijab is not an essential part of Islam.
Following the order, the Karnataka government has banned hijab in classrooms and announced that hijab-clad students and teachers will not be allowed inside the examination centres.
More than 6.84 lakh students will take part in the II PUC examinations in the state, which will take place from April 22 to May 18.
