The family members of around twelve Muslim girl students of a private college in Jaipur have raised objections and accused the college administration of stopping them to attend the classes in Hijab and insisting to wear a uniform.
The incident in Rajasthan comes amidst an ongoing controversy surrounding 'Hijab' or headscarf being worn by Muslim students in Karnataka. Since December last year students in a government college in Udupi have been protesting after the college administration did not allow them to attend classes, citing the college's dress code. Since then the state has seen protests and occasions where some other students wore saffron shawls in protest of the girls wearing hijab. The controversy has sparked a row with politicians also making statements.
The latest incident in Jaipur's Chaksu took place on Friday morning when 10-12 students at KD College, a private college, dressed in a burqa and hijab were stopped by the college administration from attending the classes. Following this, the parents of the girl students reached college and an argument between the students and the administration took place.
"As soon as the police got to know about the tense situation, we reached the college campus and saw a student group and the administration having an altercation. We tried to pacify the situation by talking with the students, their parents and the college. We found that the girls were showing displeasure and were irked as the college administration had stopped them from entering classes in a 'burqa and hijab", Mradul Kachhawa, DCP south told Outlook.
"The college has told the police that there is a uniform code which is followed by everyone and the girls are allowed to wear uniform only. As of now we have made the peace between the two groups, but we will keep a vigil on the situation", added Kacchawa.
According to the girl students, this is for the first time that the administration has told them not to wear the hijab and burqa. "I have been attending this college for the last two years and no one stopped me from wearing Burqa and hijab. But today this was the first time administration stopped me and some other students from attending the classes", a student of BA II year told Outlook.
"We will continue to wear Hijab and Burqa, like we used to before", she added
Reacting to the allegation of college students and their parents the college management told the media that there is a dress code and everyone is supposed to follow that. "We are not against Hijab but a group of girls wanted to attend the classes in a burqa. And it is for the first time that they had come in a burqa. We cannot allow this to happen. There is a proper dress code that everyone follows. They can carry on with Hijab but burqa is not allowed", Rajendra Sharma, Director of KD College told Outlook.
"The matter has been solved as we had a discussion with students and their parents", Sharma added.
