While the Karnataka High Court has yet to rule on the ban on Hijab in educational institutions issue, three complaints have been filed in Mangaluru after a clash between two groups of students over wearing Hijab during exams.
"Three FIRs have been registered after a confrontation broke out between two groups on Thursday over allowing few girls to appear to appear for the internal examinations wearing hijab," said N Shashi Kumar, City Police Commissioner, Mangaluru on Tuesday. Kumar said that "one case is registered on the complaint of a girl student against some students and 15 ABVP members for threatening and hurting her religious sentiments."
"The second case has been registered on the complaint of a girl student (against the complainant of the first case) and six other on the charges of threatening and intimidation," said Police Commissioner.
"The third FIR is also filed on the complaint of one of the student," police officer said.
Controversy surrounding Hijab in educational institutions occurred recently in Karnataka, after several students at the Government Girls PU College in the Udupi region began protesting in January against the school management for reportedly preventing them from attending classes.
During the rallies, some students claimed they were refused admission to the institution because they wore a hijab.
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.
