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The Karnataka Education Department on Saturday, 5 February, asked all government and private colleges in the state to follow the uniform dress code.
"Invoking 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act-1983, which says a uniform style of clothes has to be worn compulsorily. The private school administration can choose a uniform of their choice," the government order said.
"Colleges that are under the dept of Pre-University, state government to follow the dress which was decided by the college's development board (CDC). If there is no such dress code, students can wear the dress which will not affect equality, integrity and law and order," the order added, according to news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, as per a transfer order dated 5 February (Saturday), Pre University Board Director R Snehal was transferred without any posting with immediate effect. She has been replaced by Bidar District Administrator Ramachandran R, as the next director.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Congress MLA Kaneez Fatima, as well as her supporters held protests around DC's office, Kalaburagi, amidst the controversy, asserting that the "girls are being oppressed".
She went on to question what has propelled the sudden restrictions. "Why are they suddenly stopping us? Burkha is nothing new," Fatima stated on Saturday.
Commenting on the ongoing hijab row in educational institutes across Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi equated letting hijabs get in the way of education with "robbing the future" of India's daughters.
"By letting students' hijab come in the way of their education, we are robbing the future of the daughters of India. Ma Saraswati gives knowledge to all. She doesn't differentiate," Gandhi tweeted.
Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also tweeted on the issue, stating that prohibiting the entry of those wearing the hijab was a "violation of fundamental rights."
These tweets come after a few educational institutions across Karnataka prohibited students wearing the hijab from entering college premises, citing administrative rules against the wearing of religious symbols on campus.
BJP Karnataka's official Twitter handle reacted to Gandhi's tweet and accused him of "communalising" education.
Meanwhile, the state BJP president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, said that the party will oppose "Talibanisation" in the state.
Shortly after the first instance was reported, another educational institute called Bhandarkar's Arts and Science Degree College in Kundapura stopped hijab-wearing students at its gate. Around 40 students protested at the gate, and were joined by Muslim boys from the college on Friday, 4 February.
Amid the controversy, several Hindu students protested by wearing saffron scarves to college, demanding that they be permitted to do so if students wearing hijabs were allowed to attend classes. On Saturday, female students of a private college in Kundapura joined the protests by wearing saffron scarfs to protest Hijab wearing.
In Hassan, students of a government college also came forward to protest.
The 'saffron scarf' protests were seen in yet another Udupi college which disallowed the hijab on 4 February, where slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' were raised.
In an attempt to prevent the row into snowballing into a larger controversy, the Karnataka government asked educational institutions to follow existing rules on uniforms until the High Court issues an order in the matter.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday, 4 February held a meeting with Nagesh and top government officials, regarding the government's stand on the issue, reported PTI.
The Minister responded to Siddaramaiah, asking him the study the Karnataka Education Act and its rules, stating that uniform-related rules had been framed during his stint as Chief Minister of the state, noted PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)
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