New Delhi: In the wake of the hijab controversy that has snowballed into a major political row, the Karnataka education department on Saturday has issued an order stating that all government school students must wear a uniform as decided by the state government while students of private schools must wear a uniform that has been stipulated by the school management.
Any such clothes that disturb equality, integrity and public order must be banned, the government order further said.
According to the order as quoted by news agency ANI, “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 & order.”
This development comes after a controversy erupted in the beginning of January when some students in Udupi and Chikkamagaluru started wearing hijab to schools as a mark of protest after some of them were not allowed to enter the classroom for wearing the headscarves.
A student from an Udupi college had also moved the Karnataka High Court earlier this week seeking her fundamental right to wear a hijab.
Several political parties also joined the row with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemning the denial of entry to those students wearing hijab saying that this was robbing the future of the daughters of India, while BJP came out in support of the hijab ban saying that no Talibanisation would be allowed inside the college campus.
The state government on Saturday invoked 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act-1983 according to which a uniform style of clothes has to be worn compulsorily.