The controversy surrounding the hijab ban in Karnataka is getting deeper. In another controversial move to provoke the already heated topic in the state, a video has surfaced on social media in which a boy is seen climbing a pole and hoisting the saffron flag in a college in Shivamogga city.
According to media reports, the young man removed the tricolour on the pole and hoisted the saffron flag in its place. In the video, students standing below the pole are seen shouting slogans of Jai Shri Ram. Most of the students gathered there are waving saffron flags or stoles.
According to India Today reports, Section 144 has been imposed in the area after the stone-pelting incident in Shivmogga on Tuesday morning.
Reacting to the incident, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar said, "The situation in some educational institutions in Karnataka has become so bad that in one case the national flag was replaced with a saffron flag. I think the affected institutions should be punished. It should be closed for a week to restore law and order. Online studies can continue."
Amid ongoing protests in Karnataka over the entry of girls wearing hijab to the classroom, a group of right-wing students earlier last week marched to their college wearing saffron scarves. Videos from Kundapur in the Udupi district showed boys and girls donning the scarves over their college uniforms and raising slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while going to college.
The Karnataka High Court today is set to hear a petition challenging the hijab ban in several colleges in the state. The matter reached the court after five girls from Udupi’s government junior college moved a plea, questioning the restriction on wearing hijab in college claiming that the ban violates the right to freedom of religion enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution.
There have been several instances during the last few days where some Muslim girl students, turning up in hijab, were not being allowed into classes.
(with sources inputs)
