Hijab row: CM calls to ‘abide by orders’

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

With the hijab issue resurfacing in Mangaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday asserted that everyone should abide by the orders of the High Court and the government.
“There is no need to create Hijab controversy (again). All have to abide by the court and the government’s order. A majority of the students, about 99.99 per cent, are following it. The university syndicate’s resolution is also that court order has to be followed. Studies should be important for students,” Bommai said.
The Mangalore University Syndicate, which met on May 16 in Bengaluru, decided to impose a total ban on headscarf on the entire campus and within classrooms. All the six colleges under the varsity were asked to implement the new rule from May 17.  The university had earlier allowed headscarves matching the colour of uniforms.
The syndicate decision has apparently drawn criticism from Muslim students who argued that the rule cannot be implemented in the middle of an academic year which disturbs the status quo.
On Saturday, the University College officials sent back a group of girls who entered the campus wearing headscarves. In a video recording, the principal was seen convincing the students about the uniform rules. 
Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof. P Subrahmanya Yadapadithaya has said that the college will facilitate admission of Muslim girl students in other institutions if they insist on wearing hijab inside classrooms.