K'taka Hijab row: All govt schools should follow uniform dress code, says State Education Dept

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 5 (ANI): On the ongoing controversy over the demand by Muslim students for wearing the hijab in classrooms, the Karnataka education department on Saturday issued a directive that all the government schools should follow the uniform dress code announced by the state government.
"All government schools should follow the uniform dress code, declared by the state government. Students from private institutions should follow the dress decided by the school management," Karnataka Education Department said.
The department said if there is no dress code for colleges under the Department of Pre-University, one can wear the dress which will not affect equality, integrity and law and order.
"Colleges that are under the dept of Pre-University, state govt 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 department said.
On February 4, students wearing hijabs were allegedly denied entry into a government college in the Kundapur area of Udupi in Karnataka, amid a row on wearing the headscarf in classrooms.
In a similar incident in the state, students at a Chikkamagaluru college wore saffron shawls to mark their protest against girls wearing hijabs on campus. On Tuesday, many students also staged a dharna over the same. The cops then entered the college premises and brought the situation under control. (ANI)