MANGALURU: Almost 27 Muslim students were denied entry to a government-run pre-university college, which is equivalent to a high school, for wearing hijabs in the coastal town of Kundapur in Karnataka’s Udupi district, India, local media reported.
The southern Indian state of Karnataka is witnessing a deepening hijab row, with the Indian media reporting a second incident in recent weeks of Muslim students being denied entry to their educational institution for wearing hijab.
The report said the decision not to allow entry to students wearing hijabs was taken after over 100 students donned saffron shawls — the colour is seen as a Hindu symbol — and protested against Muslim female students wearing hijabs at Bhandarkars’ College.
According to Indian media, Muslim students wearing hijab were stopped at the front gate by the college principal and other officials. They were expressly told that they could enter the premises only if they removed the Islamic headscarf.
