UDUPI: Six students who initially demanded permission for wearing the hijab at Women’s Government PU College, Udupi, abstained from attending classes on Wednesday even as the college reopened after a week's gap amid a statewide row over the issue.
The six students will wait till the High Court’s final verdict and then decide about attending the classes, said family members. The students who protested after being denied entry to classrooms have filed petitions in the High Court challenging the college development committee’s (CDC) decision not to allow them to attend classes with the hijab.
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With colleges reopening on Wednesday, except the six students, most others attended classes as usual. Those wearing burqa and hijab entered the college premises and as per the practice they followed in the past removed both garments before attending classes. Police personnel were deputed in the college premises as section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in a 200-metre radius of the college premises.
Udupi tahsildar Pradeep Kurdekar arrived in the college in the morning and saw to it that there were no violations of the rules. Ravindra Gujjarabettu, a parent of a student studying in the college, said the good facilities provided in this government college made him admit his daughter here. "The hijab row is unfortunate and should stop here," he said.
Meanwhile, to ensure that reopening of classes should not lead to a face-off again like last week, the management at MGM College, Udupi, extended the holidays for an indefinite period. The classes were held online, sources said.